Celtic Signs Young Midfielder Mika Baur from Bundesliga
Celtic have dipped back into the Bundesliga market and landed one of Germany’s brightest young midfielders, sealing a £4.5 million deal for under-21 international Mika Baur – a fee that could climb to £6.8m with add-ons.
The 22-year-old arrives from newly promoted Paderborn on a four-year contract, with an option for a fifth, swapping a club on the rise in Germany for the champions of Scotland and the glare of Celtic Park.
From promotion push to title defence
Baur was a key figure in Paderborn’s promotion campaign last season, driving their midfield as they forced their way into the Bundesliga. That momentum has now carried him to Glasgow, where the expectations are very different but the stakes feel just as high.
He knows exactly what he is walking into.
"It's absolutely the right move," Baur told Celtic’s in-house channel. "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."
This was not a leap into the unknown. Before committing, Baur picked up the phone to a man who has already walked this path.
A German recommendation
Nicolas Kühn, a former Celtic favourite and a fellow client of the same agency, was Baur’s sounding board. One conversation was all it took.
"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 explained. "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."
The decision was made. Glasgow next. Celtic next.
Baur arrives sharp, not searching for fitness or rhythm.
"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."
Eyes on Europe
The timing is no accident. Celtic have registered Baur in time for their UEFA Champions League playoff against Austrian champions LASK, and the midfielder is already picturing the scene under the lights at Celtic Park.
One particular memory sticks with him.
"I remember a Champions League night against Leipzig," he said. "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 image – the noise, the colour, the surge of a European night in Glasgow – has been playing in his mind long before he set foot in Scotland.
"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."
What Celtic are getting
Baur does not hide behind labels, but he does embrace one: playmaker.
He wants the ball. All the time.
"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 very confident, a good technical player and I always leave my heart on the field.
"Everyone can expect that."
Celtic have signed a German under-21 international in his early twenties, fresh from promotion, hungry for trophies, and unfazed by the demands of a club that measures seasons in medals.
The next step is simple: walk out at Celtic Park, feel that noise for real, and prove that this move is as right on the pitch as it already feels off it.
