Celtic already demanding 2X what they signed Mika Baur for amid Premier League interest
Celtic are said to be valuing a summer signing at more than twice as much as they bought him for amid reported interest. Mika Baur has been a sensation since arriving from Paderborn on a £4.5million deal in the summer
The Bhoys look to have found themselves a diamond in the rough, and with Baur still only 22 years of age, there is plenty of excitement around his future.
The midfielder has been asked to play a deeper role than he is used to, slotting in alongside Callum McGregor, but the physical side of his game has improved significantly over recent weeks.
Baur is never going to be a midfield enforcer, but he can be scrappy, and the real strength of his game is on the ball. The German always wants the ball and looks after it very well, even against tougher opponents.
No one at Celtic will be surprised that Sky Deutchland are already reporting that there is interest building around the Premier League, Bundesliga and Serie A.
But with Baur under a long-term contract, only joining in the summer, Celtic are already said to be valuing him at between £12.5million and £16.7million, which represents a huge increase from the £4.5million they paid.
Celtic are well within their rights to charge such a fee, especially after Baur was given his first two Germany senior caps during the last international window, which is nothing to be sniffed at.
Germany boss Jurgen Klopp has said: “Baur is a wonderful player. Incredibly clever, technically unbelievably good. There is one player at a multiple Champions League winner who constantly reminds me of him.”
He added: “To establish yourself there (Celtic) with those physical attributes and put yourself through all of that, that's something really special. I'm really looking forward to continuing to observe him, to keep an eye on him, because he looks really promising.”
Klopp knows his stuff, and it's clear the German setup as a whole thinks a lot of Baur, who was called up for the under-21s for this window, although he ultimately had to withdraw due to picking up an ankle injury during Sunday's narrow win over Kilmarnock.
What will be interesting is how Celtic's midfield changes with a likely midfield signing during the winter window. A true holding midfield is likely to be signed, and it will be interesting to see how Baur's role evolves, or whether it will be Callum McGregor who pays the price.
