Celtic Signs German Midfielder Mika Baur for £4.5 Million

Celtic have moved early and decisively in the final stretch of the window, landing highly rated German Under-21 midfielder 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, and walks into a dressing room that knows exactly what is expected of a champion. He helped drive Paderborn’s promotion push last season; now he steps into a club where titles are demanded, not dreamed about.

Kuhn’s call that sealed it

Before he committed to Glasgow, Baur did his homework. He picked up the phone to a man who knows exactly what it means to pull on the shirt: 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 media. "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."

That conversation, brief but emphatic, pushed the deal over the line in Baur’s mind. Any lingering doubts disappeared.

"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 big stage

Celtic have registered Baur in time for their UEFA Champions League play-off against Austrian champions LASK, and the midfielder is already eyeing the glare of Europe’s biggest stage. He has seen Celtic Park on those nights. Now he wants to feel it.

"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."

His timing could hardly be better. Baur arrives on the back of a strong summer with Paderborn.

"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

If supporters are wondering what sort of player has just walked through the door, Baur’s own description is clear and confident.

"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."

Celtic have signed a young midfielder on the rise, fresh from promotion, hungry for trophies and unafraid of the responsibility that comes with being a playmaker in Glasgow. The next question is simple: how quickly can he turn that promise into performances under the lights at Celtic Park?