West Ham are in discussions with Celtic over a move for Belgium international midfielder Arne Engels, with the Championship club leading the chase for his signature.

The 22-year-old has attracted attention from several Premier League sides, and Nottingham Forest had numerous bids knocked back for him on Deadline Day of the January window. Despite that interest from the top flight, it is West Ham who are currently driving talks with the Scottish club.

Engels has two years remaining on his contract at Parkhead, giving Celtic some leverage but also creating pressure to cash in before his value diminishes further.

Celtic's transfer difficulties

Celtic chief executive Michael Nicholson recently acknowledged that the club's recruitment efforts have been complicated by competition from Championship clubs for the same targets — a situation that speaks directly to the pursuit of Engels.

Nicholson made those comments at Celtic's annual general meeting, where manager Martin O'Neill also admitted the squad was not sufficiently strong and required significant reinforcement.

Celtic have since moved to bolster their attack, completing the signing of striker Kasper Hogh from Bodo/Glimt for a club-record fee.

Forest's focus elsewhere

Whether any Premier League club will step in to rival West Ham for Engels remains unclear. Nottingham Forest, who made repeated attempts to land him in January, currently have their midfield attention fixed on Lucas Bergvall — though a deal with Tottenham Hotspur for the 20-year-old has so far proved elusive.