Celtic Sign Midfielder Mika Baur on Four-Year Deal
Celtic have stepped up their summer rebuild with the capture of highly rated midfielder Mika Baur on a four-year deal, with an option for a further season.
The 22-year-old arrives from Paderborn in a move worth around £6.8m, having just driven the German side to promotion from the 2. Bundesliga to the Bundesliga. He was no bit-part player there either: four goals, five assists, 33 league appearances and the club’s player of the year award underline why Celtic pushed hard to get him.
Sky Sports News understand the Scottish champions will pay an initial £4.5m, with a further £2.3m tied up in add-ons. A significant slice of those bonuses is linked to Celtic reaching the league phase of the Champions League, mirroring the structures used in the deals for fellow summer arrivals Camilo Duran, Kasper Høgh and Haissem Hassan.
This is not just another squad body. Baur comes in as a key piece for a team trying to stay on top domestically while forcing its way back into Europe’s elite.
Champions League on the horizon
Timing matters. Celtic face LASK Linz in a Champions League play-off tie next week, and the club can now move to register Baur for that squad. If the paperwork lands in time, he could be involved at the first major checkpoint of the season.
Baur’s path to Glasgow has been steady rather than spectacular. He came through the youth ranks at Freiburg before moving to Paderborn in 2024, where his breakthrough season coincided with the club’s surge into the top flight. That promotion run has clearly impressed Celtic’s recruitment team, who have prioritised players proven in high-pressure campaigns.
For Baur, the decision sounded straightforward.
“It’s absolutely the right move,” he said after sealing the transfer. “It’s a great club and I’ve heard incredible things about the fans.
“I’m in the same agency as Nicolas Kuhn so I called him to ask a couple of questions and he was so positive. He said, if you have the chance, just do it.
“I’ve had a good pre-season with good matches and tough training sessions, everything. So I’m in good shape and I’m ready to go.”
O’Neill gets his link man
Manager Martin O’Neill made no attempt to hide his satisfaction at landing a midfielder he believes can knit Celtic’s play together.
“I am delighted that we have been able to bring Mika to Celtic,” he said. “He is a player with some excellent attributes, great technical ability, he will be important in linking our play and he has real versatility too.
“Having spoken to Mika, I can see the appetite he has for the challenges here at Celtic and I am sure he will be another great addition to the squad.”
The deal did not come easily. Paderborn, fresh from promotion and preparing for life in the Bundesliga, wanted to keep their standout performer.
“Mika’s club in Germany were very keen to keep him, which I fully understand, as he played such an important role in their Bundesliga promotion,” O’Neill admitted. “But I am really pleased with the perseverance and commitment we have shown to secure his signing.”
Celtic now have four summer signings through the door. The squad looks deeper, younger, hungrier. The next question is simple: can Baur make the same impact in Glasgow that he did in Paderborn, with the Champions League lights about to flicker on?
