Paderborn's head coach has spoken out about Mika Baur's future amid ongoing links with Celtic. The Bhoys have been trying to land the midfielder for weeks, but they have so far been met with rejection having failed to meet the German club's asking price.
That asking price is likely to be around £4.3million, according to reports, but Celtic are trying to squeeze the Bundesliga newcomers due to the midfielder only having a year remaining on his current deal.
Talks are ongoing, but it's clear Celtic are not willing to walk away from a deal altogether, having identified Baur as a player who can improve their midfield, albeit the midfield will be weakened by the likely exit of Arne Engels.
Paderborn box responds
Paderborn boss Ralf Kettemann has been speaking as he attempts to put the final touches on his side's preparations for the first season in Bundesliga following promotion.
Addressing the Celtic links with Baur and links involving Laurin Curda and other clubs, Kettemann told NW Sport: "Of course, we’re considering the worst-case scenario, that Mika and Laurin might leave. But I’m confident that both will stay.
“And if not, we’ll find a solution. We have good players and good ideas. I’m really relaxed about it.”
Martin O'Neill has spoken about his desire to have attack-minded midfielders who can drive his team forward, and he reiterated it after Monday night's narrow win over Dundee.
The Bhoys have Benjamin Nygren in the more advanced midfield role, but they are going to need to replace Engels with players who can drive through the lines with the ball at their feet, especially given how deep Callum McGregor plays in this system, at least for the most part.
Baur is that type of box-to-box player, and while Celtic are trying to do sensible business, it is hard to imagine them missing out on one of their priority midfield targets for the sake of £300,000 when they are likely to sell Engels for around £25million this summer. At a certain point, you just have to go and get your man, especially if you have the money to do it.
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