Celtic Signs German Midfielder Mika Baur for £4.5 Million
Celtic have moved to sharpen their creative edge with the capture of German Under-21 international Mika Baur in a deal worth £4.5 million, rising to a potential £6.8m with add-ons.
The 22-year-old midfielder arrives from newly promoted Bundesliga side Paderborn and has signed a four-year contract, with Celtic holding an option for a further year. Fresh from helping Paderborn into Germany’s top flight, he now swaps a promotion fight for the pressure of defending titles in Glasgow.
Baur was a central figure in Paderborn’s surge to the Bundesliga last season. Now he steps into a different kind of spotlight – one he actively chased after a trusted recommendation from a familiar face to Celtic fans.
Kuhn’s call that sealed it
Before committing, Baur picked up the phone to Nicolas Kühn, the former Celtic favourite who shares the same agency.
"I'm in the same agency as Nicolas Kuhn so I called him to ask a couple of questions and he was so positive," Baur told Celtic’s in-house channel. "He said, if you have the chance, just do it. He couldn't explain it because, he said, you have to feel it, but he told me it was incredible. And after the call with him, I was sure."
By then, his mind was made up. Glasgow, Celtic, the noise, the expectation – that was the next step.
"It's absolutely the right move," he said. "It's a great club and I've heard incredible things about the fans. Celtic are the champions. I want to win something, and I think I'm in the right place for it."
Ready-made for the roar
Baur arrives in the door in time for Celtic’s UEFA Champions League playoff against Austrian champions LASK, a tie that could define the early shape of the season. He doesn’t sound like a player who plans to ease his way in.
"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."
He has already had a taste – from afar – of what awaits him at Celtic Park on a European night.
"I remember a Champions League night against Leipzig," he recalled. "I watched it on TV, on the couch at home, and you could feel it and see it, the emotions in the stadium. That's what I'm here for.
"That's why everyone is playing football. You want to play in big stadiums in front of a big crowd. It's different, but I think I'm ready for it. So I'm looking forward to it."
‘I always leave my heart on the field’
So what exactly are Celtic getting for their money? Baur doesn’t hide from responsibility and doesn’t shy away from the ball. He labels himself a playmaker, and the way he describes his own game will appeal to a support that demands both craft and commitment.
"I love to have the ball at my feet, always be there and not be scared to take it," he said. "I think I'm a player who is a very confident, a good technical player and I always leave my heart on the field.
"Everyone can expect that."
Celtic have signed a young midfielder on the rise, hardened by a promotion campaign and emboldened by a glowing reference from a former hero. The fee, the contract length, the timing before Europe – all of it points to a club that sees Baur not as a project, but as a player to shape their midfield now.
The next question is simple: how quickly can he turn that belief, and that Champions League dream from the couch, into reality under the lights at Celtic Park?
