Bayern Munich have confirmed the signing of Hiroki Ito from Stuttgart to bolster their defence for the coming season. The Japanese central defender has joined the Bavarians on a four-year contract till 2028, in what was a surprising move from the former Bundesliga winners.
Ito also had interest from Tottenham, but has chosen to remain in Germany, with the tactical system at Stuttgart matching the one Vincent Kompany is keen on implementing at Bayern. He will be wearing the number 21 shirt at Bayern, following the official announcement.
Bayern Munich confirm Hiroki Ito as first new signing of the season
Willkommen in München, Hiroki #Ito! 👋🔴⚪#ServusHiroki #MiaSanMia pic.twitter.com/WvHhsHaLqW
— FC Bayern München (@FCBayern) June 13, 2024
During his time at Stuttgart, Ito was comfortably playing passes out from the back, ranking 14th in the Bundesliga in that metric. And given that he is left-footed as well, he could easily slot in alongside Matthijs De Ligt or Kim Min Jae in defence to help build a formidable backline.
Hiroki Ito’s arrival was surprising primarily because Bayern have been linked with Bayer Leverkusen’s Jonathan Tah as their top target for the summer. However, the two clubs are still far apart on his valuation, prompting the Bavarians to make a very smart move instead.
They are now planning to complete a deal with Fulham for Joao Palhinha, after it originally fell through in January on deadline day.
