There has been a fresh twist in the Mika Baur transfer saga as Celtic look to complete the signing of the Paderborn midfielder this summer. The Bhoys are about to complete the signing of Bodo/Glimt striker Kasper Hogh, but their business won't stop there.
Celtic have plenty of business to do this summer, with Martin O'Neill wanting a handful of new signings before the window closes in early September. There are holes in his squad, and there will be an even bigger one once Arne Engels departs.
The midfield is going to need two or three new signings this summer, and it seems Baur is the priority for now.
Baur taking matters into his own hands over Celtic move
Celtic are said to have pushed for the £4million signing of Paderborn midfielder Baur over recent weeks, but the newly promoted Bundesliga club are not willing to do a deal at that price. One of their club chiefs has come out and said they are under no pressure to sell following promotion, and that they view Baur as a vital player, meaning the deal has to be worth it for them to sell.
But Baur knows he can put pressure on the club by demanding out, likely spurred on by the potential, opportunity of playing Champions League football, and likely bagging a pay rise.
And the midfielder has now done just that, according to journalist Christian Vaquero, who says Baur has now lodged a transfer request. He posted on X in Spanish: "Mika Baur has requested that Paderborn facilitate his transfer to Celtic. The German club won't accept £4million and want to negotiate. The Celtic-Baur agreement is TOTAL."
It has been reported over recent days that Celtic had agreed personal terms with Baur, but that Paderborn want more money, and this fresh claim backs that up. The good news is that the German club are seemingly willing to negotiate, and Celtic can likely get the deal done by topping up the offer a little, especially with the player now asking to leave.
If Baur is a player the Bhoys truly believe in, then they would be wise to get the deal done, even if it costs them a little more than they were hoping to pay. The Bhoys are likely to bring in £25million for Engels alone this summer, so they can afford to get the deal done at £4.5million, £5million or even a little more, also keeping in mind they will have to sign another midfielder or two after Baur.
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