Celtic Sign German Midfielder Mika Baur for £4.5 Million

Celtic have moved to sharpen their midfield for the season ahead, sealing the signing of 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 on a four-year contract, with an option for a further year, stepping into a new phase of his career at the champions of Scotland.

From Paderborn’s promotion push to Paradise

Baur was a key figure in Paderborn’s promotion campaign last season, driving their rise to the Bundesliga. Now he swaps that success story for the pressure and expectation of Glasgow, and he has done his homework.

Before committing, Baur picked up the phone to a familiar name in these parts – former Celtic favourite Nicolas Kühn.

"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 told Celtic’s in-house channel. "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."

By the time he landed in Glasgow, his mind was made up.

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

Ready-made for the Champions League stage

The timing is no accident. Celtic have registered Baur in time for their UEFA Champions League playoff tie against Austrian champions LASK, and the midfielder is already eyeing the biggest stage.

"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."

This is not a player easing his way in. He wants the noise, the glare, the pressure.

Baur has already had a taste of Celtic Park – from afar.

"I remember a Champions League night against Leipzig," he recalled. "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."

‘I always leave my heart on the field’

So what exactly are Celtic getting?

Baur doesn’t hesitate with the description. He calls himself a playmaker, but one with an edge.

"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 a very confident, a good technical player and I always leave my heart on the field."

"Everyone can expect that."

A young German midfielder, fresh from dragging a club into the Bundesliga, now walking into a Celtic side expected to dominate domestically and compete in Europe. The stage is bigger. The demands are higher.

Now it’s up to Mika Baur to show that the leap from Paderborn to Paradise is just the next step in a career built for nights under the lights at Celtic Park.