21 Jul 2026 19:32 BST |
4 min read
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Celtic have agreed terms with SC Paderborn midfielder Mika Baur as they search for an adequate replacement for Arne Engels.
The Hoops’ transfer window is finally starting to really kick into gear. Camilo Duran has been signed, and several other deals are currently being worked on, both incoming and outgoing.
Celtic are in talks with Real Oviedo over the possible signing of Egypt’s World Cup star Haissem Hassan, while Daizen Maeda is on his way to Ipswich Town after a €12 million agreement was reached.
The 28-year-old will leave a gaping hole at Parkhead, but Celtic have reportedly made “inroads” on deals for possible replacements. Meanwhile, they are also forced to contend with the seemingly inevitable departure of England.
The 22-year-old did not make Belgium’s World Cup squad, but that hasn’t diminished the interest in his services. Several clubs from England and around Europe are keen to sign him this summer.
Engels is on his way out
Manager Martin O’Neill has already admitted that Celtic expect big offers to arrive for Engels after turning down bids as high as €30m in January. Nottingham Forest and AS Roma are among the sides interested in striking a deal.
Engels is part of a larger midfielder domino this summer. Forest need a replacement for Elliot Anderson, who has joined Man City, while Roma need to potentially find a successor to Man Utd target Manu Kone.
Reports have claimed that Tottenham also have a serious interest in the versatile Belgian. There is clearly no shortage of suitors, and they all have money to spend. Consequently, Engels could conceivably become Celtic’s record sale this summer.
And Celtic are clearly preparing for the eventuality of the 22-year-old departing. According to Fabrizio Romano, they have agreed personal terms with Paderborn midfielder Mika Baur.
Club-to-club discussions with the newly promoted Bundesliga side are in full swing as Celtic try to strike a deal. Baur currently has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of just €2.2m, but Paderborn have already lost several key players, so they could demand a premium for him.
Sky Germany has confirmed the talks and added that Baur’s representative Christian Nerlinger has “excellent connections to Celtic.” The Hoops have moved ahead of Schalke 04 in the race to sign the 22-year-old.
Who is Mika Baur?
The fact that there is interest in Baur should not be entirely surprising. He is coming off a breakout season at Paderborn and was a crucial part of the side that achieved promotion to the Bundesliga.
The 22-year-old is the son of former handball world champion Markus Baur and is a diminutive midfielder. His versatility is akin to that of Engels, though he is a bit more attack-minded.
Baur, who stands at 5ft 8in, is capable of playing out on the wing, but his best role is at the heart of midfield. He is very tidy in possession and tenacious in the tackle – this tenacity is necessary to make up for his lack of physicality.
The midfielder came through the youth system at SC Freiburg, where he starred under Thomas Stamm. He reunited with the Swiss coach at Dynamo Dresden in early 2025, but he struggled to recapture his previous form during his six-month loan spell in Saxony.
He seemed to be on the way out of Paderborn after his poor loan stint, but the club’s new manager Ralf Ketteman took a liking to the youngster. Baur won a starting spot in the third game of the 2. Bundesliga season and did not relinquish it again.
He went on to start 29 of the next 30 matches, notching four goals and six assists. It was a real coming-of-age season for Baur. And yet, the step up to Celtic seems quite large, especially if he is to fill the shoes of Engels.
Analytics firm SciSports seems to concur. Baur is believed to be some way short of the level of Engels, although he does have the potential to eventually surpass the Belgian’s current ability.
Of course, Celtic could look to sign more midfielders this summer, and replacing Engels in the aggregate would be much shrewder than doing so solely with Baur.
That said, the 22-year-old exceeded expectations last season – perhaps he will keep proving the doubters wrong at Parkhead.
