Celtic Signs German Midfielder Mika Baur for £6.8m
Celtic have moved again in the market, landing German midfielder Mika Baur on a four-year deal that underlines their intent to build a squad for both domestic dominance and European relevance.
The 22-year-old arrives from Paderborn in a transfer worth around £6.8m, with an option for a further year on his contract. Sky Sports News understand Celtic will pay an initial £4.5m, with another £2.3m due in performance-related add-ons.
A big slice of those bonuses is tied to the Champions League. Just as with fellow summer recruits Camilo Duran, Kasper Høgh and Haissem Hassan, the financial upside grows sharply if Celtic reach the league phase of the competition. The message is clear: these signings are being built around European progression, not just the Scottish Premiership grind.
Baur arrives on the back of a breakout season. He helped drive Paderborn to promotion from the 2. Bundesliga to the Bundesliga, scoring four goals and supplying five assists in 33 league appearances. The club recognised his influence by naming him their player of the year.
Paderborn wanted to keep him. Celtic pushed until they got him.
Baur came through the youth system at Freiburg before switching to Paderborn in 2024, where his blend of technical quality and work-rate quickly made him a key figure. Now he steps into a very different kind of pressure in Glasgow.
On signing for the Scottish champions, Baur was unequivocal about the move.
"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."
That readiness could be tested almost immediately. Celtic face LASK Linz in their Champions League play-off tie next week, and Baur is eligible to be registered for the squad. A promotion hero in Germany could find his first Celtic minutes coming with a place in the league phase of Europe’s elite competition on the line.
Manager Martin O'Neill made it clear why the club were so persistent.
"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."
Four signings in, Celtic’s summer has a clear pattern: younger, hungry players with resale value and European upside. Now the question is simple. Can Baur and this new core turn that strategy into Champions League nights that actually matter?
