Mika Baur has explained why Celtic pulled him in this summer, and the answer was bigger than a European badge. The midfielder joined from SC Paderborn 07 in a £6m move on a four-year deal, after a call to Nicolas Kuhn and a long look at what Parkhead offers on big nights.

Parkhead crowd and trophy pull

Baur said Kuhn was all encouragement when he asked for advice. "I'm in the same agency as Nicolas so I called him to ask a couple of questions and he was so positive. He said, if you have the chance, just do it," he told the Daily Record.

He also pointed straight to the atmosphere he had watched from afar. "I remember a Champions League night against Leipzig. I watched it on TV, on the couch at home, and you could feel it and see it, the emotions in the stadium. That's what I'm here for."

The winning side of the move came through just as clearly. "Celtic are the champions. I want to win something, and I think I'm in the right place for it," Baur said.

Haissem Hassan made the same wider point about why Celtic appeal. "I would say the Champions League was part of the discussion, but we are not qualified yet so I wouldn't really be focusing on that," he said.

Celtic's summer spend and the LASK deadline

Hassan was even more direct about the club itself. "But it's not only about that, it's about the club in general – a big fan base, playing in front of 60,000 fans, expecting to win, win trophies, being a better player, playing with better players as well so we can all help each other."

That helps explain why Celtic have kept moving quickly in the market. The club had already brought in Hassan for £10m, Kasper Hogh for £11m and Camilo Duran for £6m before Baur arrived.

The registration clock is still running too. Celtic had until 24 hours before the LASK clash to add another two new faces for Champions League registration, while Martin O’Neill is said to be sweating on Alistair Johnston’s fitness ahead of the Champions League play-off.

Baur and Hassan have made the pitch sound simple enough: Parkhead, trophies, and the chance to play in front of 60,000. The next date that matters is the LASK clash, and Celtic still had two registration places to fill 24 hours before it.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →