Jurgen Klopp Praises Mika Baur's Move to Celtic

Jurgen Klopp has hailed Mika Baur’s decision to swap the Bundesliga for Celtic, after handing the midfielder his first senior Germany call-up.

The 22-year-old is one of the standout surprise names in Klopp’s opening squad as national team coach, with the former Liverpool manager opting for an enormous 44-man pool split across two separate groups. One will meet the Netherlands and Greece. The other, which includes Baur, is set to face Serbia and Greece, with the Celtic man due to join up with the squad from September 28.

Klopp has already been in Baur’s ear about the move to Glasgow. Speaking to STV Sport, he said: “I consider him really exciting. He’s absolutely up for it. We also spoke on the phone about the weather in Glasgow – something I know well from Liverpool. With this move, he’s taken on a very challenging step.”

It is that willingness to embrace the challenge that appears to have caught Klopp’s eye. Baur arrived at Celtic in the summer from newly-promoted Bundesliga side Paderborn in a deal worth around £6million, having been almost ever-present in their successful 2025/26 campaign. He has not eased himself in gently.

Under Martin O’Neill, the midfielder has quickly become a key figure. He has even forced experienced summer signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain out of the starting XI in recent weeks, a clear sign of how rapidly he has adapted to Scottish football and the demands at Celtic.

Baur’s performances have backed up the faith. Earlier this month he was named man of the match after scoring the winner against St Johnstone, a game that underlined his ability to decide tight contests. He then went on to complete the full 90 minutes in Celtic’s 3-0 Glasgow Derby defeat at Ibrox, a harsh lesson in the intensity of the fixture but another marker of O’Neill’s trust in him.

On the international stage, Baur is not stepping into completely unfamiliar territory. He has already featured for Germany at under-21 level alongside Said El Mala, Finn Jeltsch and Brajan Gruda. All three have now been elevated with him, earning call-ups from Klopp as part of the sweeping new era.

If Baur makes his senior debut in the coming fixtures, he will follow a small but notable line of German internationals to have worn the green and white of Celtic, joining Andreas Thom and Andreas Hinkel. For a player who has chosen the hard road to the top, the next step now lies firmly in his own hands.