Celtic‘s Mika Baur has enjoyed a good run under Martin O’Neill’s orders, and several clubs are closely monitoring his developments at Celtic Park.
The midfielder is a product of SC Freiburg’s youth system and moved to SC Paderborn in 2024. He spent two years with the latter and completed a permanent move to Celtic in the summer window.
O’Neill’s side paid around €6m for Baur, making him SC Paderborn’s club-record sale.
Celtic form rewarded
At Celtic Park, the 22-year-old has operated as a central and defensive midfielder. He has scored four goals in 19 matches, and his performances haven’t gone unnoticed.
Germany manager Jürgen Klopp included him in his squad for the last international break.
The Celtic man made two appearances for the national team and had to settle for a place in the German U21 squad for November’s international break. However, Mika Baur picked up an injury, forcing him to withdraw from the Germany U21 squad.
Sky Deutschland points this out when covering the latest about his ‘meteoric rise’ since joining Martin O’Neill’s side. The good start with Celtic has already paid off, and it has also attracted interest from elsewhere.
| Every Celtic signing 26/27 | Previous Club | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Camilo Durán | Qarabağ | €5.50m |
| Kasper Høgh | Bodø/Glimt | €12.85m |
| Haissem Hassan | Spain Real Oviedo | €7m |
| Mika Baur | SC Paderborn | €6.3m |
| Oliver Sørensen | Parma | Loan |
| Sam Johnstone | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Loan |
| Shim Mheuka | Chelsea | Loan |
| Landon Emenalo | Chelsea | Loan |
| Joël van den Berg | PSV Eindhoven | €3.5m |
| Jordan Lotomba | Feyenoord | Free |
Celtic have clear advantage
The Germany international is on the radar of several unnamed clubs from the Premier League, Bundesliga and the Serie A. He is likely to be a prominent name during the next summer window.
For now, the Scottish champions are under no pressure to sell their summer signing. Mika Baur signed a contract until 2030, with an option for another year. This puts Celtic in a strong negotiating position to discuss a potential deal.
Sky are valuing the Celtic man at around €15-20m. It could rise if he were to continue to shine for Martin O’Neill’s side. In that case, the latter could demand a higher fee if they were to decide to part ways with him next summer.
It looks like Baur’s camp are leaking information about clubs following him, to prepare him for a potential move after this season.
Prior to signing him, O’Neill’s side tabled an offer for Ibrahima Diaby, but Cercle Brugge rejected it at the start of the summer window. The Belgian club then sold him to Al-Ahli SFC for around €12m in September. Celtic betting on the German has already paid off.
