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Chris Sutton highlights special Celtic trait that he spotted 'for the first time in donkey's'

Set-piece specialist Arne Engels
-Credit: (Image: SNS Group)


Chris Sutton insists the £11million splashed out on Arne Engels looks like a BARGAIN for Celtic.

Record-breaking signing Engels, 21, has made a scintillating start to life at Parkhead, notching two goals and an assist since his deadline-busting move from Augsburg. The talented midfielder was signed as a replacement for £30m man Matt O'Riley and has already been tipped to make the Hoops a fortune years down the line.

As for now, Sutton has been majorly impressed by how quickly Engels has adapted to life in Glasgow. And the Celts legend believes the Belgium set-piece specialist offers Celts something they haven't had in YEARS - someone capable of whipping in dangerous corners. Engels assisted Liam Scales' opener in Wednesday's 5-1 rout over Slovan Bratislava with a wicked delivery.

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"If you go back a few weeks, the loss of Matt O'Riley looked like a huge blow", he told the Daily Record. "But the performance of Arne Engels helped fans get excited about who was there rather than who wasn't.

"The Belgian's display just proved Rodgers was right to push the boat out to get him. Any spies in the stands or tuning in would have looked at Engels and felt £11million was a bargain. It is in European terms.

"Brentford spent £30m on Igor Thiago, Ipswich spent double Engels' fee on Omari Hutchinson. Celtic spent a lot in comparison to Bratislava but it's still chicken feed compared to the likes of Borussia Dortmund.

"Engels has ability on the ball and tremendous physicality. He looks like he's been in with the bricks for ages. For the first time in donkey's, Celtic even look a threat from corners with him on dead balls.

"It's early days and he's still to be developed but he already looks the perfect fit for Celtic's model of buying prospects and getting the best out of them before big-money offers come calling. But let's not wish him away.

"Engels is young and while he's shown terrific temperament with those penalties, there will be a time when his form dips a touch. That's where the squad comes in - and we'll probably see it this weekend."