Celtic Strengthens Midfield with Mika Baur Signing

Celtic have moved to strengthen their midfield for the long season ahead, landing German Under-21 international Mika Baur in a deal worth £4.5 million, rising to a potential £6.8 million with add-ons.

The 22-year-old 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 drive Paderborn to the German top flight, he now swaps a promotion charge for the pressure of defending titles in Glasgow.

From Paderborn’s rise to Celtic’s glare

Baur was a central figure in Paderborn’s promotion campaign, knitting play together and dictating tempo as the club climbed into the Bundesliga. That momentum has carried him into a new stage of his career, this time at a club where silverware is not a dream but a demand.

“It’s absolutely the right move,” Baur told Celtic’s in-house media. “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.”

The move did not come blindly. Before committing, Baur turned to a familiar voice.

Kuhn’s seal of approval

Baur shares an agency with former Celtic favourite Nicolas Kühn, and it was the winger’s glowing review that helped push the deal over the line.

“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.”

Once that conversation ended, the decision was made. Glasgow, Celtic, the noise, the pressure – that was the path.

Ready-made for European nights

Crucially for Brendan Rodgers, Baur arrives in time to be involved in the UEFA Champions League playoff against Austrian champions LASK. Those ties will offer an immediate test of his temperament and quality, and he is already picturing the setting.

“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’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.”

Baur insists he arrives sharp, not searching for fitness.

“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.”

A playmaker with personality

Supporters wondering what kind of midfielder Celtic have signed did not have to wait long for an answer. Baur is clear about his identity on the pitch.

He describes himself as a playmaker, someone who wants responsibility when the game is tight and the ball is hot.

“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 paid for a creator, a technician, and a young player already hardened by the demands of a promotion fight. Now the question shifts from why he chose Celtic to how quickly he can shape their midfield in a season where domestic dominance must be matched by a statement in Europe.