There’s chaos brewing elsewhere in Glasgow, but for Scottish champions Celtic, it looks like things are finally beginning to fall into place on the transfer front.
Following a wretched few years of recruitment in the wake of Ange Postecoglou’s departure, the signs are already more promising this summer, with Camilo Duran and Kasper Hogh helping to rip Kilmarnock to shreds last weekend.
Throwing £9m man Haissem Hassan into the mix has raised the excitement levels even further, while the addition of Paderborn’s Mika Baur should help to solve the club’s longstanding issues in central midfield.
Whether Arne Engels stays to support the young German remains to be seen, but Baur in his own right should represent a real coup for the Parkhead side.
What Celtic can expect from Mika Baur this season
It perhaps say it all of Martin O’Neill‘s opinion regarding his current midfield options that both Reo Hatate and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have been shackled to the bench for the first two games of the campaign, with Paulo Bernardo also shipped off on loan to Poland.
The first-choice trio of Callum McGregor, Benjamin Nygren and Engels did sparkle against Killie, but with tougher tests to lie ahead, does that selection have the mobility and athleticism to really flourish?
Well, that might be where Baur aids proceedings, the 22-year-old a dynamic, versatile talent who can line up as a number six or a number eight, having also featured on the flanks at times in Germany.
A two-footed, silky midfielder, Baur was a vital part of Paderborn’s successful promotion push last season, having started 32 games in Bundesliga.2, scoring and assisting nine goals.
He also boasted an impressive average of 1.5 key passes per game, as a sign of his forward-thinking quality, as well as averaging 2.4 tackles and interceptions per game, showcasing what he offers both in and out of possession.
|
Baur vs Engels – 25/26 League Stats |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Baur |
Stat (*per game) |
Engels |
|
33 (32) |
Games (starts) |
30 (22) |
|
4 |
Goals |
5 |
|
5 |
Assists |
3 |
|
3 |
Big chances created |
6 |
|
1.5 |
Key passes* |
1.4 |
|
0.4 |
Succ. dribbles* |
0.1 |
|
84% |
Pass accuracy* |
83% |
|
2.4 |
Tackles & interceptions* |
1.5 |
|
2.9 |
Total duels won* |
2.9 |
|
12.3 |
Ball lost* |
12.3 |
For comparison, in the Premiership last season, Engels scored and assisted eight goals from his 22 starts, while averaging 1.4 key passes himself for the champions. As for his work off the ball, the Belgian averaged just 1.5 in terms of tackles and interceptions.
That comparison bodes well for the impact Baur can make in a Celtic shirt, yet if Engels is to depart before the deadline, O’Neill will need more in his midfield ranks.
Celtic still chasing second midfielder after Baur signing
It does feel increasingly likely that Engels will move on before too long, amid rampant interest from West Ham United, with a string of potential replacements seemingly on the agenda.
Hibernian’s Miguel Chaiwa is among those in the frame by all accounts, while there has been talk of a £9m deal for Torino’s Gvidas Gineitis.
More recently, however, the Daily Record has reported that Celtic are readying to advance their pursuit of Hadjuk Split star, Niko Sigur, with talks set to be opened regarding a deal for the 22-year-old.
That has been corroborated by Croatian outlet, T Portal, the piece noting that an approach is expected to be made in the coming days, with Celtic’s bid set to be in the region of €2.9m (£2.4m).
Sigur was notably part of Canada’s World Cup squad alongside Alistair Johnston, and could now be set for a reunion with the rampaging right-back in Glasgow, provided Johnston’s own move to Everton doesn’t materialise.
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The versatile Sigur has himself lined up at right-back, or even at centre-back, for both club and country of late, but his preferred role is believed to be in central midfield, with that likely to be where he is utilised by O’Neill and co.
Such flexibility certainly mirrors Hatate in his prior Celtic pomp, the Japanese playmaker memorably deployed at right-back under Postecoglou on occasion, including when he netted a brace against St Johnstone in December 2022.
That was a time when it felt like Hatate could do no wrong at Parkhead, the diminutive talent such an all-action, box-to-box force in his early Celtic days.
Sigur may not boast the end product of the 28-year-old, but he is a real all-rounder in his own right, so comfortable and effective both in and out of possession, as national team boss, Jesse Marsch, noted after his side’s World Cup defeat to Morocco.
“I felt Sigur was exceptional, perhaps our best player on the pitch. The distance he covered, the decisions he made on the ball, the number of times he won possession in midfield, his vision in reading and creating plays, the ground he covered, the duels he won—he was outstanding in every aspect.”
That very much felt like praise that could have been dished out to Hatate in seasons gone by, a time when it felt like he was arguably the best player in Scotland. Could Sigur be set for a similar rise?
In Croatia last season, for instance, the 22-year-old boasted a standout 90% pass accuracy rate from his 24 starts, notably averaging 3.5 tackles and interceptions per game, while winning five total duels per game.
For comparison, if looking back to Hatate’s first full season under Postecoglou in 2022/23, the former Kawasaki Frontale star was averaging 1.5 tackles and interceptions per game, as well as 3.6 total duels, not too far below Sigur’s own record.
Sigur, like Hatate, would be another classy incoming who could seemingly be deployed anywhere on the pitch to great effect, with this the perfect signing to freshen up the midfield ranks.
Exciting times may well lie ahead for the Glasgow giants.
