Celtic Sign Midfielder Mika Baur from Paderborn for £6.8m
Celtic have moved again in the market, landing highly rated midfielder Mika Baur from Paderborn on a four-year deal with an option for a fifth, in a transfer worth around £6.8m.
The 22-year-old becomes the Scottish champions’ fourth signing of the summer, following Camilo Duran, Kasper Høgh and Haissem Hassan, as the squad is reshaped with Europe firmly in mind.
From Bundesliga promotion to Parkhead push
Baur arrives on the back of a breakout season in Germany. He helped drive Paderborn to promotion from the 2. Bundesliga to the Bundesliga, scoring four goals and supplying five assists in 33 league appearances. His influence ran deeper than numbers, and the club recognised it by naming him their player of the year.
That form has now earned him a move to Glasgow, with Sky Sports News reporting Celtic will pay an initial £4.5m, with a further £2.3m due in add-ons. A significant chunk of those bonuses is tied to Celtic reaching the league phase of the Champions League, mirroring the structure of the other summer deals.
Baur came through the youth system at Freiburg before moving to Paderborn in 2024. Now, just months after helping one club climb into the German top flight, he steps into a different kind of pressure at Celtic Park.
“If you have the chance, just do it”
The midfielder is in no doubt he has chosen the right stage.
"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."
That readiness could be tested immediately. Celtic face LASK Linz in their Champions League play-off tie next week, and Baur can now be registered for the squad as they chase a place in the league phase that underpins so much of their summer business.
O’Neill hails Baur’s “excellent attributes”
Manager Martin O'Neill made no attempt to hide his satisfaction at getting the deal over the line, especially with Paderborn reluctant to lose a key promotion figure.
"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.
"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, but I am really pleased with the perseverance and commitment we have shown to secure his signing."
Celtic have made a habit of finding emerging talent and asking them to grow quickly in the glare of title races and European nights. Baur arrives with a promotion on his CV, a fresh player-of-the-year award, and a manager demanding he now translate that momentum into a Celtic shirt.
The next test comes fast, under the floodlights and with a Champions League place on the line.
