Jürgen Klopp Praises Mika Baur's Celtic Move and Germany Call-Up
Jürgen Klopp has hailed Mika Baur’s bold decision to swap the Bundesliga for Celtic after handing the midfielder his first senior Germany call-up.
The 22-year-old is one of the standout surprise names in Klopp’s opening squad selection, a sprawling 44-man pool split across two groups. One will face the Netherlands and Greece; the other is scheduled to take on Serbia and Greece.
Baur is in the latter group and will report for international duty on September 28, capping a whirlwind start to his Celtic career.
Klopp impressed by Baur’s Celtic gamble
Klopp, speaking to STV Sport, made it clear this was no token inclusion.
“I consider him really exciting,” he said. “He’s absolutely up for it. We also spoke on the phone about the weather in Glasgow – something I know well from Liverpool. With this move, he’s taken on a very challenging step.”
That “challenging step” was Baur’s summer move from newly-promoted Bundesliga side Paderborn to Celtic in a deal worth around £6 million, after he had been almost ever-present in their successful 2025/26 campaign.
The midfielder has wasted no time convincing his new manager. Under Martin O’Neill, Baur has quickly become a key figure, to the point where he has recently kept experienced summer arrival Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain out of the starting XI.
Rapid rise in Glasgow
The early evidence has been striking. Baur was named man of the match after scoring the winner against St Johnstone earlier this month, a performance that underlined both his composure and his knack for decisive moments.
He then went the distance in Celtic’s 3-0 Glasgow Derby defeat at Ibrox, one of the most demanding fixtures on the calendar. The result stung, but Baur’s inclusion for the full 90 minutes spoke volumes about O’Neill’s trust in him at the sharp end of the season.
Klopp has clearly been watching. The Germany manager already knew the player from his under-21 exploits, where Baur lined up alongside Said El Mala, Finn Jeltsch and Brajan Gruda – all three of whom have also been promoted into the senior setup for this international window.
Joining a select Celtic-Germany club?
Baur’s elevation now carries a little extra historical weight. Should he make his senior debut in the coming games, he will join a small, select group of German internationals to have worn the Celtic shirt, following in the footsteps of Andreas Thom and Andreas Hinkel.
From Paderborn to Parkhead to the Germany squad in a matter of months. It is exactly the kind of leap Klopp wants to reward – and exactly the kind of challenge Baur seems determined to meet head on.
