When he first joined the club on loan last summer from Japanese second-tier club Jubilo Iwata, Hiroki Ito was seen as one for the future. He soon established himself in the VfB first team, though, making 29 Bundesliga appearances along with another two in the cup. In the final match of the season against 1. FC Köln, the 23-year-old headed on the corner for fellow countryman and VfB captain Wataru Endo to score the decisive goal in the 2-1 win that meant that the club would be staying in the Bundesliga.
VfB have now exercised the previously agreed purchase option on Ito and turned his deal into a permanent one. The 1.86 metre-tall defender is now tied to the club through to 30 June 2025.
VfB sporting director Sven Mislintat: “Hiroki has settled into his new environment incredibly quickly over the past months and made the leap from the Japanese second division to the Bundesliga in double-quick time. His footballing skills combined with his character have made him a really valuable asset to our team, which meant that exercising the purchase option was an easy decision for us to make. We’re very pleased that Hiroki will be wearing the VfB jersey in the years to come.”