Celtic Sign Midfielder Mika Baur for £6.8m

Celtic have stepped up their summer rebuild with the capture of highly rated German midfielder Mika Baur on a four-year deal, with an option for a fifth, in a move worth around £6.8m.

The 22-year-old arrives from Paderborn after a breakout season in which he drove the club to promotion from the 2. Bundesliga to the Bundesliga, scoring four goals and supplying five assists in 33 league appearances. His impact was such that he finished the campaign as Paderborn’s player of the year.

Structured deal, Champions League upside

Sky Sports News understand Celtic will pay an initial fee of about £4.5m, with a further £2.3m in performance-related add-ons. The structure mirrors the deals that brought in fellow summer signings Camilo Duran, Kasper Høgh and Haissem Hassan, with a significant chunk of the bonuses triggered if Celtic reach the league phase of the Champions League.

That clause is no small detail. Celtic face LASK Linz in a crucial play-off next week, and Baur, who came through the youth system at Freiburg before joining Paderborn in 2024, is expected to be eligible for registration in the Champions League squad.

Baur: ‘It’s absolutely the right move’

Baur spoke with conviction about the switch to Glasgow.

"It's absolutely the right move," he said. "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."

The midfielder arrives not as a project for tomorrow, but as a player ready to step straight into the intensity of a title defence and a Champions League push.

O’Neill hails technical quality and mentality

Manager Martin O'Neill made no secret of how hard Celtic had pushed to get the deal over the line.

"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."

Paderborn’s reluctance underlines the scale of Celtic’s move. They are not just padding out numbers; they are prising away a key figure from a newly promoted Bundesliga side.

Baur becomes Celtic’s fourth signing of the window, and with the Champions League play-off looming and domestic expectations unchanged, his arrival feels less like a luxury and more like a statement of intent.