German midfielder Mika Baur has completed a transfer to Scottish champions Celtic from Paderborn, signing a four-year contract with the option of a further year.
The 22-year-old Germany Under-21 international arrives at Parkhead subject to international clearance. He becomes the latest summer arrival for the Glasgow club, following deals for Camilo Duran, Kasper Hogh, Haissem Hassan, and the re-signing of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Speaking to Celtic's official website, Baur signaled his intent to win trophies in Scotland and stated that he is ready to feature immediately after undergoing pre-season training in Germany.
"It's absolutely the right move," Baur told the club's official website. "It's a great club and I've heard incredible things about the fans. Celtic are the champions. I want to win something, and I think I'm in the right place for it."
Baur revealed he sought advice from fellow agency client and Celtic winger Nicolas Kuhn prior to completing the transfer.
"I'm in the same agency as Nicolas Kuhn so I called him to ask a couple of questions and he was so positive. He said, if you have the chance, just do it," Baur added. "I've had a good pre-season with good matches and tough training sessions, so I'm in good shape and I'm ready to go."
Baur began his career at Freiburg before joining Paderborn in 2024. He spent the second half of the 2024-25 campaign on loan at Dynamo Dresden before returning to help Paderborn earn promotion back to the Bundesliga last season.
Managerial reaction and health update
Celtic manager Martin O'Neill expressed his delight at securing the midfielder's signature, praising Baur's technical ability, versatility, and link-up play. O'Neill highlighted the club's perseverance after Paderborn tried to keep the player following their promotion.
"I am delighted that we have been able to bring Mika to Celtic. He is a player with some excellent attributes, great technical ability, he will be important in linking our play and he has real versatility too," O'Neill said.
"Having spoken to Mika, I can see the appetite he has for the challenges here at Celtic and I am sure he will be another great addition to the squad. 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."
The 74-year-old manager returned to work after spending a night in hospital last week to undergo what Celtic described as a small procedure. The former Republic of Ireland manager was absent from Celtic's 5-1 victory at Kilmarnock on Sunday, but delivered a pre-match team talk at the players' hotel.
Asked about his health, O'Neill said: "Much better than last week anyway. Yeah, a couple of ailments rolled into one, unfortunately, but I'm getting there, which is good news."
Further summer recruitment
Baur's arrival follows the transfer of Egypt winger Haissem Hassan from Real Oviedo earlier in the week. O'Neill confirmed that Celtic had been tracking the 24-year-old since January.
"We'd been tracking him in January time," O'Neill said of Hassan. "He very, very much fitted the bill. Going past players now is a sort of a dying art, which is really almost unforgivable in football. That's what fans get excited about. And actually, to tell you the truth, so do fellow players."
