West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo has made no secret of the ambition behind his summer recruitment, insisting that the club's £22m acquisition of Arne Engels is part of a longer-term vision to return to the top flight.

Engels, 22, is a Championship record signing for the Hammers, having joined from Celtic, and is understood to be in line for his debut against Charlton on Saturday. Nuno spoke candidly about the rationale behind the deal in an interview with BBC Radio London.

"He's a fantastic player," Nuno said. "We were happy that we were able to get Arne with us. He's a very talented player, who gives us a lot of options in the midfield area. 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."

The Belgian midfielder arrives with considerable pedigree at club level. In two seasons at Celtic, he scored 17 goals and contributed 22 assists across 100 appearances, earning a reputation as an energetic, technically accomplished box-to-box operator. That record evidently convinced West Ham's hierarchy to break their transfer ceiling for a Championship player.

Nuno left little ambiguity about why the club are prepared to spend at that level while competing in the second tier. "All the players who have joined us, the vision is much, much further," he told the BBC. "So if our ambition is to go back to the Premier League, we have to sign players who we believe can be there also."

It is the clearest articulation yet of West Ham's recruitment philosophy this summer: assembling a squad capable not just of winning promotion, but of sustaining themselves once they get there. The approach carries obvious financial risk in the Championship, where parachute payments and wage structures can distort competition, but the club's board appear willing to back Nuno's judgement.

Squad depth taking shape

Engels is far from the only new face at the club. Nuno has also brought in England Under-19 striker Divine Mukasa on loan from Manchester City for the season, a deal already confirmed by the club, and Dutch forward Joel Piroe has arrived on loan from Leeds, according to reports.

The manager was keen to stress that squad construction is about profile as much as volume. "We should have different profiles in different positions," he said. "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."

That balance will be tested quickly. West Ham's Championship campaign is already under way, and Saturday's London derby with Charlton at the London Stadium offers Engels an immediate opportunity to demonstrate why the club were willing to set a new benchmark for spending in the division.

Record fee raises the bar

The £22m outlay is significant not only for West Ham but for the Championship as a whole. It underlines how seriously the club are treating this stint outside the top flight, and it signals to rivals that the Hammers intend to be among the frontrunners in what is shaping up to be a fiercely competitive promotion race.

For Engels himself, the move represents a step into a division where he will face physical and tactical demands that differ markedly from the Scottish Premiership. How quickly he adapts may go a long way to defining West Ham's season. If Nuno's confidence in him proves well-founded, the Belgian could be the creative fulcrum around whom the club build their promotion push.

Frequently asked

How much did West Ham pay for Arne Engels?
West Ham paid £22m for Arne Engels, a record fee for a Championship signing, according to reports. He joined from Celtic.
Which club did Arne Engels sign from?
Engels joined West Ham from Celtic, where he scored 17 goals and registered 22 assists in 100 appearances across two seasons.
When will Arne Engels make his West Ham debut?
Engels is understood to be in line for his debut when West Ham host Charlton on Saturday in their Championship fixture.