Rodgers Defends £11m Man Arne Engels: “Not the Finished Article Yet”

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has defended Arne Engels, the club’s record signing, after the Belgian midfielder received some early criticism for his performances since arriving at Celtic Park.

The 21-year-old joined the Hoops with high expectations, following an £11 million transfer that set a new club record. However, Rodgers has reminded critics that Engels is “nowhere near the finished article” and urged fans to give the young player time to develop.

Engels’ performance in Celtic’s hard-fought 0-0 draw against Atalanta in the Champions League saw him criticised by some fans for his 75-minute showing, despite Celtic’s impressive defensive resilience against the Serie A side. Rodgers, however, is adamant that the club has acquired a player with immense potential, emphasising that patience is crucial.

Rodgers said: “There’s critics in the Game, and people have an opinion – you have to respect that. For me, we’ve brought a young player in who is nowhere near the finished article yet.

“I think sometimes there is a price around him and that might feel that you’re buying someone who is the finished article – he’s not. He came in here as a 20-year-old player who has got great potential, and it’s my job along with the staff to develop that.

“He’s coming from playing one Game a week, where that’s a holiday in my book, to come and play at a big club, with big pressure and big expectations and you will feel it.

“Sometimes, you’ll play a lot of Games and you come out to recover, so it’s all natural. We’ve had the same with Nicolas Kuhn and Callum McGregor over the many years. It’s Football. I understand people want to make a judgement and an opinion, but I’m so happy he’s chosen to come here.

“He’s shown more than enough in this short period of time that he is going to be a fantastic player for us”

🔊 LISTEN: “We brought a young player in who is nowhere near the finished article”.

🍀 Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers says it will take time for Arne Engels to live up to his £11million price tag after some criticism over recent performances ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/bPB9GakLGP

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The player has shown that he’s full of quality. He’s got two assists to his name in the Champions League, one against Bratislava and another against Dortmund.

In the league, he’s strolled it and has a goal to his name.

He doesn’t look to be an out and out number 10 who’s scoring and assisting every week, but he does look like he will add a lot to Celtic going forward. He’s got an eye for a pass and is always keen to move forward.