Celtic Shut Door On £4.5m German Midfielder: Which Signing Is A Must?

Celtic Shut Door On £4.5m German Midfielder: Which Signing Is A Must? Celtic will reject any January offer for Mika Baur, according to Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke , who reports that Martin O’Neill wants to strengthen the squad in the winter window rather than lose players from it. The 22-year-old German cost £4.5m and has become a regular in midfield, while O’Neill, with fans pressing the board, wants to prove ambition and repair a patchy summer. Where the summer window worked and where it didn’t Baur and Camilo Duran justify the spending. Baur has four goals from midfield and has been more effective in attack than Arne Engels did, with 49 key passes in his final Paderborn season showing the creative habit. Duran has 13 goals and has taken the centre-forward spot from Kasper Hogh, whose £11m fee made him a club record. Hogh has not scored since an August hat-trick against Kilmarnock. The goalkeepers worry O’Neill more. Kasper Schmeichel retired in May, and Sam Johnstone’s season-long loan from Wolves has not settled the position, with Viljami Sinisalo and the loanee swapping places in the team. Baur suits O’Neill’s 4-3-3 as the advanced midfielder beside Callum McGregor, where his passing and late runs count most. His weakness is physical. At 5ft 8in and slight, he can struggle against sides that go long and contest second balls, and he offers less defensive cover than his predecessor. Reporter Florian Plettenberg says clubs in Europe’s top five leagues, Italian ones included, have shown concrete interest, which explains why Celtic want to shut the door now. Which position must Celtic fix in January? GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – NOVEMBER 08: Celtic manager Martin O’Neill is seen during a minute silence prior to the William Hill Premiership 2026/27 match between Celtic and Kilmarnock at Celtic Park on November 08, 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images) Goalkeeper, and it isn’t close. Duran’s form covers the striker position, and Baur keeps midfield stable, but a team that lost four of five before beating Hearts 7-1 cannot keep rotating two keepers who haven’t convinced the manager. Johnstone returns to Wolves in the summer, and O’Neill is reportedly unsure about Sinisalo. The realistic target is Blackburn’s Balazs Toth. The Hungarian is 29, his deal expires in June 2027, and Football Insider says Blackburn may sell in January to recoup something. His distribution numbers are modest, so Celtic must be sure he helps their build-up play, but he won Blackburn’s Players’ Player of the Year award. Left-back comes second, with Kieran Tierney injury-prone and Liam Scales covering. Liverpool’s Luke Chambers, out of contract in the summer, is the sensible short-term option. Celtic spent £11m on a striker who cannot score and left their most important position to a loan and a rotation. January should reverse that order.