€20m Celtic deal inevitable as 'top' enquiries made
Summer signing Mika Baur is unlikely to be at Celtic for the long haul, as he is already attracting "top" enquiries from potential suitors.
The 22-year-old moved to Parkhead from promoted Bundesliga side Paderborn in the summer and has been a successful signing to date. Baur cost an initial €5.3 million, with bonuses possibly taking that fee beyond €7m.
It already looks like money well spent. As per the November update of FootballTransfers' Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) algorithm, Baur's value has skyrocketed to €9.9m, making him the third-most-valuable player at Celtic.
This is fully deserved, too, as he has been one of Hoops' better players this term. In September, Baur was a surprise inclusion in Jurgen Klopp's first Germany squad, and the legendary manager was full of praise for the midfielder.
Baur made two brief appearances for the DFB team and thus became only the second active Germany international in Celtic history after Andreas Hinkel in 2008. He was set to link up with the U21s during the current break, but he had to withdraw due to injury.
Baur could leave Celtic next summer
The 22-year-old's impressive form, which has already seen him score four goals from midfield, isn't going unnoticed at clubs in Europe's top-five leagues. According to Sky Germany, Baur is already receiving "top" enquiries from Premier League, Bundesliga and Serie A clubs.
As a result, he could be on the move again next summer, despite only just joining Celtic. Reporter Florian Plettenberg has described Baur as "one to watch" for next year simply due to the number of suitors. Some clubs in Italy have already registered a "concrete" interest.
Losing Baur after just one season would be a blow, but Celtic are at least set to make a healthy profit. The midfielder does not have a release clause, and the current expectation is that he will cost around €15m-€20m.
If he keeps impressing, that figure will surely only increase. Analytics firm SciSports ranks Baur as one of the best-performing midfielders in the Premiership this season and notes that he has enjoyed positive development over the past six months.
The "concrete" interest from Serie A is not at all surprising, with data from SciSports showing that Italy would be the ideal next step for Baur. Napoli, Inter and Fiorentina are believed to be his best-suited destinations, as per SciSports' Career Advice tool.
Stade Rennais, Real Sociedad, Ajax, Benfica and Marseille could also be solid next clubs, while Tottenham are the highest-ranked Premier League side for Baur.
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