Bayern Munich signed Japanese defender Hiroki Ito from VfB Stuttgart, according to a statement from the club on Thursday.
The 25-year-old, Bayern’s first new signing since Vincent Kompany was hired as coach, joins the German giants on a four-year contract.
He said he was looking for new challenges with Bayern to win new titles.
“We want hungry players who bring in new energy and Hiroki has everything we wish for: he is a player who takes on challenges, overcomes them and keeps pushing forward,” Bayern board member for sport Max Eberl said in a statement.
The transfer fee wasn’t made public but German magazine Kicker reported Bayern had met a release clause for an initial 23 million euros ($25 million) plus possible add-on fees.
The 25-year-old Ito had been with Stuttgart since 2021 and was key to its surprise run to second in the Bundesliga this season. Stuttgart finished one place ahead of Bayern, which ended the campaign without a trophy for the first time since the 2011-12 season.
Bayern is also signing the 18-year-old Australian winger Nestory Irankunda in a deal that was agreed in November but only takes effect next month. Spanish winger Bryan Zaragoza’s transfer from Granada has become permanent after an initial loan spell at Bayern.
