Mika Baur Joins Celtic: Ready for Champions League Challenge
Mika Baur has barely unpacked his bags in Glasgow, but his sights are already fixed on the brightest lights Celtic can offer – Champions League nights and a chance to prove he belongs on that stage.
The 22-year-old midfielder has completed his move from German side Paderborn to Celtic in time for next week’s Champions League play-off against Austrian club LASK, a rapid shift from the 2. Bundesliga to one of European football’s most scrutinised arenas.
“It’s the best next step,” Baur said, his conviction clear as he outlined why he chose Celtic. For him, the appeal was obvious: a huge club, a demanding crowd, and the expectation to dominate domestically while pushing deep into Europe.
“It’s a great club, it’s a big club. You play in front of a big crowd, you’re dominating the league,” he explained. The lure of those midweek European nights, though, seemed to be what really gripped him. “You have the international games, the Champions League matches at night on the big stage. I want to show the people and also myself that I’m ready for that. So, yeah, I think it’s the right move.”
The transfer took time to get over the line, with negotiations dragging before Celtic finally landed their man. Once it was done, the relief and excitement were obvious. Now the focus turns quickly from paperwork to performance.
Baur could make his debut as early as Saturday in the League Cup tie against Dundee United, a domestic curtain-raiser that might offer a first glimpse of what he brings to Brendan Rodgers’ midfield.
He is clear about his identity as a player and what supporters should expect when he pulls on the shirt.
“I’m really good on the ball,” he said. That is his starting point, but not the full picture. Last season in Germany, he made a point of sharpening the other side of his game. “I think I developed myself and my game off the ball last season. So, I’m running a lot, I’m fighting, but I want to be a playmaker, I want the ball at my feet.”
That blend – industry without the ball and authority with it – is exactly what Celtic’s staff have asked of him. “That’s what they [coaches] expect from me,” he added, before turning his message directly to the stands. “And that’s what you guys can also expect, that I try my best and leave my heart on the field every time.”
The stage he craves is coming quickly. A League Cup debut, a Champions League play-off, a new league to conquer. Now it is up to Baur to turn that ambition into something the Celtic crowd can feel.
