‘Everything that has come in so far is in no way financially viable for us’. Paderborn’s Sporting Director opens up on Mika Baur dealings with Celtic

This day week ago, Fabrizio Romano announced that Celtic had agreed personal terms with Mika Baur to entice him to the east end of Glasgow.

Usually when Fabrizio Romano makes an announcement, it’s pretty much set in stone that the player he mentions will join the club he mentions.

But Michael Nicholson and co. will find a way to confound even the likes of Romano with their dodgy transfer dealings.

Here we are a week later, and no nearer to getting the deal done.

The stumbling block?

A paltry €300k (£257k), pocket change to a club like Celtic.

Paderborn feel their player is worth €5 million.

Celtic have offered £4 million, which is just under €4.7 million.

So yes, £257k is what’s holding up the entire deal.

Now, as every blogger does when there’s a player linked with our club, I’ve done my research on Mika Baur.

He looks like a top young talent.

Below is a short video of some of his goals and assists:

As you can see, he likes a shot from distance.

He also weighs in with some tasty assists.

There is no doubt he is a talent, and when you consider that Paderborn are only looking for the valuation of €5 million to be met, this is once again poor business from Celtic.

Baur has the chance to play in the Bundesliga in the upcoming season.

And while he’s keen on a move to Celtic, what he has to fall back on is a season playing against the likes of Bayern, Borussia Dortmund, Stuttgart, and RB Leipzig.

It’s understandable Paderborn will probably end up in a relegation dogfight, but he stills gets to mix it with the elite of German football.

At Celtic, depending on our board, he gets to travel to Aberdeen on cold winter nights with a gale blowing in off the North Sea that’s as cold as a witch’s tit.

But the caveat to that is that he might just get to mix it with Europe’s elite.

If the board manages to get the finger out and supply Martin O’Neill with a squad that will ably get us into the Champions League proper.

Which is why the Celtic board should be closing this deal and paying Paderborn their €5 million.

What is particularly baffling about this whole situation is the contrast in the way the board has dealt with Bodø/Glimt in their acquisition of Kasper Høgh .

The Norwegian side wanted £11 million for their player – plus add ons – I’m sure, and Celtic just went and did it.

There were no protracted, drawn out negotiations.

Valuation met.

Player did his medical yesterday.

Should be announced today.

Which shows it can be done with a minimum of fuss.

It shows that Michael Nicholson’s admission that he cannot deal with agents was a lame excuse.

When it needs to be done at Celtic, a deal can be done in just the same way any other club can do it.

At Paderborn, Sporting Director Sebastian Lange, has stated that he’s not happy with the offers that have come in for some of their players, including Baur.

Here’s some of what he had to say on the German football site, Kicker:

The sporting director has recently faced some challenges, as other clubs continue to pursue Paderborn’s key players. “There have been offers for players during this transfer window, but currently there are none,” said Lange. “Because we rejected them all.” According to him, the newly promoted club blocked the inquiries. “Everything that has come in so far is in no way financially viable for us.”

Lange stated that offers have been received for “four to five” players from the squad. He declined to name names. However, it has become known in recent days that Laurin Curda (interested from Mainz 05) and Mika Baur (Celtic Glasgow) are at the top of the list of potential suitors. Intriguingly, these two top players’ contracts expire at the end of the season.

“Everything that has come in so far is in no way financially viable for us.”

That pretty much sums it up.

What this now boils down to is whether Celtic are willing to pay the extra £257k Paderborn want for their player.

Once again, when you consider we paid £10 million for both Michel-Ange Balikwisha and Sebastian Tounekti last season, it’s baffling that we won’t meet the valuation of a player like Baur.

What is the reason for Celtic thinking he isn’t worth that extra £257k?

Everybody knows what grandstanding over a few hundred grand in the past has cost us.

John McGinn is the most notable in quite a long list of players we should have acquired.

If Celtic continue with this behaviour, the likelihood is that Paderborn will just increase his value.

As we know, a few clubs have done this to us in the past.

Norwich, with Adam Idah, when £6 million was the initial valuation.

We ended up paying £9 million for him due to messing Norwich around.

£11 million for Arne Engels, when Augsburg initially valued him at £8 million.

Teams know when Celtic start to get desperate, so then they jack up their asking price.

If we don’t meet Paderborn’s valuation for Baur, the likelihood is they’ll do the same.

Once again, you’d think the board and Nicholson would learn from this?

But it seems as if they never ever learn from any of their f*** ups.

If they continue with this approach to Paderborn, this will just become another f*** up in a long line of f*** ups from this board.

Just pay Paderborn what they feel their player is worth.

You did it for Kasper Høgh.

Do it for Mika Baur!

Get it done, and move on to the next target.

Amateurs.

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