Celtic Summer Exodus: Iheanacho, Engels, and Hatate Shine Abroad
Celtic’s summer exodus is already echoing loudly across Europe.
Kelechi Iheanacho, Arne Engels and Reo Hatate all left Glasgow with questions hanging over them – form, fit, fee, you name it. A few weeks on, each of them has delivered a sharp early answer.
Iheanacho catches fire in Turkey
No one has hit the ground running quite like Iheanacho. The Nigerian has been reborn at Bursaspor, racking up six goals and two assists in his first five league games. He has scored in every single league outing so far.
That kind of streak turns heads. It also underlines why so many felt there was still a player of real substance lurking beneath the inconsistency of his final Celtic months. In Turkey, he looks like a forward playing with clarity and confidence again, leading the line rather than drifting through games.
Engels starts to show his price tag
Engels’ start at West Ham has been more gradual, but no less encouraging.
After a difficult debut, the Belgian has begun to show why the London club were willing to pay a record fee for a Championship side to land him from Celtic. He set up a goal in a 4-2 win over Wolves, a first tangible contribution that seemed to loosen the shoulders.
Then came Derby County. Engels produced the kind of all-round midfield display that wins over a fanbase: six chances created, eight recoveries, and a 3-0 victory to frame it all. West Ham supporters have reacted warmly online, quick to highlight the technical quality and work-rate that persuaded the club to invest so heavily.
The numbers back up the eye test. He is not just ticking over; he is influencing games.
Hatate brings spark to Burnley
Hatate’s move was the most surprising of the trio. Sold on deadline day for £6.5m plus add-ons, the Japanese playmaker left Celtic Park with many still convinced he had more to give in green and white.
Burnley wasted no time. Hatate walked straight into the starting XI against Bristol City and immediately looked at home. He set up Burnley’s opening goal, offering exactly what he was signed to provide: invention between the lines and a touch of chaos in the final third.
The match ended in a 2-1 defeat, but his individual display did not go unnoticed. Manager Nicky Hayen, who had faced Hatate during Brendan Rodgers’ first season back at Celtic when Burnley and Celtic drew 1-1, praised his new signing’s impact. Hayen knows first-hand what Hatate can do; now he has that creativity on his side.
A different kind of Celtic afterstory
Leaving Celtic does not always go this smoothly. Many have discovered that the roar of Celtic Park is hard to replace, the expectations even harder. The grass, as the old line goes, is not always greener.
This time, early evidence points the other way. Iheanacho is scoring for fun. Engels is knitting together performances in midfield. Hatate has already stamped his name on Burnley’s attack.
For Celtic, it reflects well when former players thrive elsewhere. For the three who left under varying degrees of uncertainty, it raises a sharper question.
If this is how they are starting, how far can they go now that Glasgow is in the rear-view mirror?
