Celtic have completed their fourth summer acquisition by bringing in midfielder Mika Baur from Bundesliga-bound Paderborn. The 22-year-old German player signed on an initial four-year contract with an option for an additional year.
The overall transfer package is valued at approximately £6.8m, with Scottish media reporting an initial fee of around £4.5m and £2.3m in performance-based add-ons. The bonus structure mirrors arrangements made with three other recent summer signings: Camilo Duran, Kasper Høgh, and Haissem Hassan. A significant portion of these conditional payments will be triggered if Celtic advance to the league phase of the Champions League.
Baur arrives following a productive spell at Paderborn, where he featured in 33 league matches last season, contributing four goals and five assists. His performances were instrumental in the German club’s promotion from the second tier to the Bundesliga, earning him recognition as Paderborn’s player of the year. The midfielder previously developed through the youth system at Freiburg before joining Paderborn in 2024.
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill expressed satisfaction with the acquisition, highlighting Baur’s technical capabilities and versatility. O’Neill noted that Paderborn had sought to retain the player, underscoring his importance to their promotion campaign. Baur is eligible for registration in Celtic’s Champions League squad, with the team facing LASK Linz in a play-off fixture scheduled for the following week. The midfielder stated his enthusiasm for the opportunity, citing conversations with teammate Nicolas Kuhn as a factor in his decision-making process.
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
Article summary produced by Claude AI