Celtic Secures German Midfielder Mika Baur from Paderborn
Celtic has officially signed German midfielder Mika Baur from Paderborn for an undisclosed fee. Manager Martin O’Neill commended the Scottish champions’ “perseverance” in acquiring the 22-year-old player.
Baur has committed to a four-year contract, with an option for an additional year. He played a significant role in Paderborn’s recent success, helping the team secure promotion to the Bundesliga after finishing third in the second division last season.
O’Neill noted, “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. But I am really pleased with the perseverance and commitment we have shown to secure his signing.”
Born in Salem, Baur transitioned to Paderborn from Freiburg, where he featured for their second team two years ago. Last season, he made 36 appearances, contributing four goals and six assists, including a critical performance in the play-off victory over Wolfsburg.
“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.”
In a notable shift, Baur opted for football over handball, a sport in which his father Markus excelled, representing Germany 228 times and winning Olympic silver in 2004 and World Championship gold in 2007. Baur Jr. has represented Germany at various youth levels, up to under-21s, and aims to use this move to elevate his chances for a senior national team call-up.
Baur acknowledged that his choice to join Celtic might seem unexpected, especially given opportunities to play in Germany’s top flight. However, he expressed his ambition, stating, “I want to win something and I think I’m in the right place for it.”
He discussed receiving positive advice from Nicolas Kuhn, a German winger who previously played for Celtic. Baur sought insights from Kuhn, who reassured him about the move, urging him to seize the opportunity.
Despite facing challenges in breaking into Freiburg’s first team, Baur credits a loan spell at Dynamo Dresden for his development, where he significantly contributed to their promotion to Bundesliga 2.
Now, Baur is set to continue his career at Celtic, having evolved from a winger and attacking midfielder to a deep-lying playmaker, showcasing a playing style akin to Rangers’ Nicolas Raskin. This transition played a key role in Paderborn’s notable success in recent years.
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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