Mika Baur Completes Move to Celtic Ahead of Champions League

Mika Baur did not come to Glasgow to hide in the shadows.

The 22-year-old midfielder has finally completed his move from German side Paderborn to Celtic and has arrived just in time for one of the biggest weeks of his young career – a Champions League play-off against Austrian club LASK.

It took a while. Negotiations dragged, the deal lingered, but when the paperwork was finally done, Baur knew exactly what it meant.

"I think it's the best next step," he said, clear and certain about why he has chosen Celtic.

For him, the attraction is obvious. The scale of the club. The expectation. The noise.

"It's a great club, it's a big club. You play in front of a big crowd, you're dominating the league," he said, outlining the platform that drew him north.

But the real pull lies under the lights.

"You have the international games, the Champions League matches at night on the big stage. I want to show the people and also myself that I'm ready for that.

"So, yeah, I think it's the right move."

Baur will not have to wait long for a first taste of Scottish football. He is in contention to make his debut in Saturday's League Cup tie against Dundee United, a domestic introduction before the European stakes rise next week.

If he does feature, Celtic fans will get their first live look at a player who talks about his game with a mixture of confidence and graft.

"I'm really good on the ball," he said. "I think I developed myself and my game off the ball last season. So, I'm running a lot, I'm fighting, but I want to be a playmaker, I want the ball at my feet."

That is exactly what his new coaches want from him.

"That's what they expect from me and that's what you guys can also expect – that I try my best and leave my heart on the field every time."

The stage he craves is coming fast. Now it is down to Baur to prove that Celtic Park on a Champions League night is where he truly belongs.