West Ham United have completed the signing of Belgium international midfielder Arne Engels from Celtic for a reported £22m, a fee that BBC News notes sets a new record for a transfer out of the EFL.
The deal represents a significant investment for the Hammers as they continue reshaping their midfield options ahead of the new season, and underlines the growing financial pull of Premier League clubs even when sourcing talent from outside England's top four divisions in the traditional sense—Celtic, of course, compete in Scotland, but the record specifically pertains to fees involving clubs outside the Premier League bracket as tracked by the EFL benchmark.
Engels had impressed during his time in Scotland, attracting interest from across Europe, but it is West Ham who have won the race to bring him to the London Stadium.
Further details on personal terms, contract length, or the structure of the fee were not provided in the initial report from BBC News, though the headline figure alone confirms the scale of West Ham's ambition in this window as they look to strengthen their squad with a player of proven quality and top-flight potential.