Celtic have completed the signing of Germany Under-21 international Mika Baur from Paderborn for an undisclosed fee, adding another midfield option to Martin O'Neill's squad ahead of the new season.
The 22-year-old has put pen to paper on a four-year deal, with the Scottish champions holding the option to extend the contract by a further year. His arrival marks Celtic's fourth signing of the summer transfer window.
Baur played a significant part in Paderborn's promotion back to the Bundesliga last term, ending a six-year absence from Germany's top flight after finishing third in the second division. Across 36 appearances last season, he contributed four goals and six assists, including a standout display in the play-off victory over Wolfsburg that sealed promotion.
O'Neill made clear that Celtic had to work hard to prise the midfielder away from Germany. "Mika's club in Germany were very keen to keep him, which I fully understand, as he played such an important role in their Bundesliga promotion," O'Neill said. "But I am really pleased with the perseverance and commitment we have shown to secure his signing."
The Celtic boss also spoke highly of what Baur can bring to the team going forward. "He is a player with some excellent attributes, great technical ability," O'Neill added. "He will be important in linking our play and he has real versatility too."
Paderborn's sporting director, Sebastian Lange, acknowledged the club's reluctance to part with a key figure from their promotion campaign but ultimately respected the player's wishes. "As a key player from our promotion season, we would have loved to keep Mika," Lange said. "When he expressed his desire to move to Glasgow Celtic, we didn't want to stand in his way, even with less than a year remaining on his contract. We intend to use this very favourable financial solution to further strengthen our squad before the end of the transfer window."
Born in Salem, Baur began his career with Freiburg's second team before joining Paderborn two years ago. He struggled to break into Freiburg's first team, but a loan spell with Dynamo Dresden proved pivotal in his development, helping the club earn promotion to Bundesliga 2. Baur has credited that loan experience, along with guidance from a mindset coach, as key factors in his growth as a player.
Tactically, Baur has evolved from his early days as a winger and attacking midfielder into more of a deep-lying playmaker, a role he now occupies with a style drawing comparisons to Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin.
Despite having the chance to play in the Bundesliga for the first time, either by staying with Paderborn or moving elsewhere in Germany, Baur opted for a fresh challenge in Scotland. "I want to win something and I think I'm in the right place for it," he explained.
A connection to a former Celtic player also influenced his decision. Baur shares an agent with Nicolas Kuhn, the German winger who spent time at Celtic after joining from Rapid Vienna in 2024 before later moving to Como. "So I called him to ask a couple of questions and he was so positive," Baur said of his conversation with Kuhn. "He said, if you have the chance, just do it."
Interestingly, football was not always the obvious path for Baur. His father, Markus Baur, was a decorated handball international for Germany, earning 228 caps, an Olympic silver medal in 2004, and world championship gold in 2007. The younger Baur has represented Germany at every youth level up to Under-21 and will be hoping his move to Celtic accelerates his path toward senior international recognition.
Meanwhile, Celtic could see further midfield movement before the window closes, with fellow midfielder Arne Engels reportedly attracting interest from West Ham United, who are said to be preparing an improved offer for the Belgium international.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport Football.