Celtic have officially announced the marquee signing of German Under-21 international midfielder Mika Baur from SC Paderborn on a four-year contract through 2030, with an option for a further year. The 22-year-old playmaker becomes manager Martin O’Neill’s fourth major summer recruit, following the arrivals of Camilo Durán, Kasper Høgh, and Haissem Hassan to Paradise.
The transfer brings an end to weeks of intense negotiation between Celtic and the newly-promoted Bundesliga outfit. Celtic structured an overall transfer package worth up to €8 million (£6.8 million), consisting of an initial €5.25 million fee plus €2.75 million in performance bonuses. The deal sets a new record as the most lucrative player sale in Paderborn’s history.
Baur revealed that current Celtic star Nicolas Kühn played a pivotal role in convincing him to make the move to Glasgow. The two players share the same agency, and Baur reached out to Kühn directly for guidance before putting pen to paper. Kühn strongly urged the midfielder to embrace the move, praising the atmosphere and ambition at Parkhead.
Described by O’Neill as a technically gifted and versatile midfielder, Baur registered four goals and six assists in 33 appearances to power Paderborn’s promotion to the German top flight last season. With international clearance expected swiftly, the creative technician could make his competitive debut in the Premier Sports Cup against Dundee United before featuring in Celtic’s vital Champions League play-off clash against LASK Linz.