Nuno Signs Arne Engels as West Ham's Record Signing

West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo has made it clear: Arne Engels has not arrived in east London to be a Championship luxury. He has been signed to help drag the club back to the Premier League – and then stay there.

The Belgian midfielder, a £22m arrival from Celtic and now the Hammers’ record signing from the Championship, is expected to make his debut against Charlton on Saturday. At 22, he walks into a club that is rebuilding with a clear, unapologetic target.

"He's a fantastic player," Nuno told BBC Radio London. "We were happy that we were able to get Arne with us."

Engels’ numbers in Scotland back up the excitement. Across two seasons at Celtic he scored 17 goals and supplied 22 assists in 100 appearances, a consistent creative threat rather than a one-season wonder. Nuno sees a midfielder who can do a bit of everything – and do it with intensity.

"He's a very talented player, who gives us a lot of options in the midfield area," the West Ham boss said. "He's someone we truly believe who is going to come in, step in and help us. He's a good midfielder and has all-round ability, technique, talent, and he's a hard worker."

That last point matters. Nuno is not just stockpiling flair; he is building a squad he believes can handle the grind of a promotion chase and the jump in level if they make it.

"All the players who have joined us, the vision is much, much further," he added. "So if our ambition is to go back to the Premier League, we have to sign players who we believe can be there also."

Attack rebuilt with Mukasa and Piroe

Engels is the headline buy, but Nuno has been just as deliberate with his attacking options.

England Under-19 striker Divine Mukasa has returned to West Ham on loan from Manchester City for the season, a move that brings a highly rated young forward back into familiar surroundings. The club have also brought in Dutch forward Joel Piroe on loan from Leeds, adding a proven Championship goalscorer to the mix.

The pattern is obvious: different ages, different backgrounds, but all recruited to give Nuno variety and depth.

"We should have different profiles in different positions. It's about having a squad that gives us all the possible options and solutions," he said.

He is not chasing a bloated dressing room. He is chasing balance.

"It's not about numbers, it's about profiles and in the end, what we want to achieve is to have a very balanced squad."

Engels’ first touch in claret and blue will come in the Championship. The expectation, from the man who signed him, is that it will not be his last taste of English top-flight football.