Celtic Summer Departures: Iheanacho, Engels, Hatate Shine Elsewhere
Celtic’s summer departures are already making noise elsewhere – and fast.
Kelechi Iheanacho, Arne Engels and Reo Hatate all left Glasgow with question marks hanging over them for very different reasons. None of them has spent long looking back.
Iheanacho catches fire in Turkey
No one has hit the ground harder than Iheanacho. The Nigerian striker has been reborn at Bursaspor, racking up six goals and two assists in just five league games.
He has scored in every single league appearance so far. Every match, some kind of damage. For a forward who drifted to the fringes at Celtic, it’s a ruthless response.
Those are the kind of numbers that turn a fresh start into a statement.
Engels finds his stride at West Ham
Engels’ start in England has been a slower burn, but the signs are now strong.
After a difficult debut, the Belgian midfielder is beginning to show why West Ham were prepared to pay a record fee for a Championship club to land him from Celtic. He set up a goal in a 4-2 win over Wolves, then followed it with a commanding display against Derby County.
Six chances created. Eight recoveries. A 3-0 victory with Engels right at the heart of it.
West Ham supporters have picked up on it quickly, with praise flowing online for a player who is starting to look every inch the all-round midfielder Celtic cashed in on.
Hatate wastes no time at Burnley
Hatate’s move felt different. A maverick fan favourite at Celtic, sold to Burnley on deadline day for £6.5m plus add-ons, and gone in a deal that surprised plenty.
He didn’t wait for an invitation in England. Handed an immediate start against Bristol City, the Japanese playmaker showed exactly what Burnley thought they were buying, laying on the assist for the Clarets’ opening goal.
Burnley still slipped to a 2-1 defeat, but Hatate’s display cut through the disappointment. Manager Nicky Hayen, who previously faced him during Brendan Rodgers’ first season back at Celtic Park in a 1-1 draw, was quick to praise his new signing’s impact.
The stage is different, the shirt is different, but the creativity looks familiar.
A rare early win for all sides
Players leaving Celtic Park often discover the grass isn’t quite as green as it looked from afar. Careers stall, moves misfire, reputations fade.
Not this time. Not yet.
For Hatate, Iheanacho and Engels, the early evidence points the other way: goals, assists, influence, and growing trust from new managers and new fanbases.
Celtic have banked their fees. Their former players have seized their fresh starts. Now the real question is how far this trio can push on from such sharp beginnings.
