Celtic have signed German midfielder Mika Baur from Paderborn for an undisclosed fee, with manager Martin O’Neill praising the Scottish champions’ “perseverance” in pursuing the 22-year-old.
Baur, who has signed a four-year contract with the option of another year, helped Paderborn end a six-year absence from the Bundesliga after finishing third in the second tier last season.
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“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 told his club website.
“But I am really pleased with the perseverance and commitment we have shown to secure his signing.”
Salem-born Baur had joined Paderborn from Freiburg, where he played for their second string, two years ago.
He made 36 appearances last season, including their play-off win over Wolfsburg, scoring four goals and providing six assists.
“He is a player with some excellent attributes, great technical ability,” O’Neill said. “He will be important in linking our play and he has real versatility too.”
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Kuhn advice and desire ‘to win something’
Handball’s loss was football’s gain as Baur chose a different sport to father Markus, who made 228 appearances for his country as he helped Germany to Olympic silver in 2004 and world championship gold in 2007.
So far, Baur Jr has played for Germany at every level up to under-21s and will hope moving to Celtic helps him make the step up to the senior side.
Moving to Scotland may seem an unusual choice given he had the opportunity of playing in his country’s top flight for the first time had he stayed with Paderborn, or moved to another Bundesliga club.
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Explaining his decision, Baur said: “I want to win something and I think I’m in the right place for it.”
He shares an agent with Nicolas Kuhn, the German winger who joined Celtic from Rapid Vienna in 2024 before moving to Como the following season.
“So I called him to ask a couple of questions and he was so positive,” Baur revealed. “He said, if you have the chance, just do it.”
Baur did not make a first-team breakthrough with Freiburg despite making match-day squads and credits his loan move from Paderborn to Dynamo Dresden two years ago as significant in his progress as he helped them win promotion to Bundesliga 2.
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That together with advice from a mindset coach and the arrival of Ralf Kettemann as Paderborn head coach.
Having started as a winger then attacking midfielder, the diminutive, two-footed Baur was used more as a deep-lying playmaker with a style similar to Rangers’ Nicolas Raskin.
It helped steer Paderborn to their greatest success since the turn of the millennium.
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