Bayern Munich have announced the signature of VfB Stuttgart defender Hiroki Ito on a four-year deal that will run through 2028.
Ito joined Bayern Munich after a brilliant 2023/24 season and in the process the versatile 26-year-old defender becomes Vincent Kompany’s first signing.
Bayern Munich took to social media to share the news as they hope to get over a trophyless season when the new season kicks off.
Speaking about Ito’s arrival, Max Eberl, FC Bayern board member for sport said: “We’re delighted that we’ve signed Hiroki Ito for FC Bayern. We want hungry players who are going to bring in fresh energy, and Hiroki has everything we want: he’s a player who embraces challenges, overcomes them and continues to make his way in the game. He already has a lot of experience for a 25-year-old and can handle pressure, whether it’s in a relegation play-off or when playing for the Champions League. He’ll really strengthen us straight away.”
Hiroki Ito said: “It’s a great honour for me to be able to play for one of the biggest clubs in the world. FC Bayern is also a big name in Japan. I always gave my all for VfB Stuttgart and am grateful to the club. Now I’m looking forward to the challenge in Munich and I want to play my part in FC Bayern winning lots of trophies. It was time to take a new step, and for me FC Bayern is the perfect club to do so.”
Ito joined Stuttgart ahead of the 2021/22 season. He featured in 97 competitive games for the Swabians, scoring two goals.
On the international stage, Ito made his senior debut for Japan in June 2022 and has since gone on to amass 19 caps and one goal.
He also featured at the 2022 World Cup, where his team reached the knockout stages and lost narrowly on penalties to Croatia in the round of 16.
