VfB have strengthened their back line with the signing of Lorenz Assignon. The 1.81m full-back will join the club from Cannstatt ahead of the new season from French top-tier outfit Rennes, penning a deal through to 30 June 2029.
“It feels good to be here – I’m delighted to get to play for VfB,” said Assignon after his medical on Thursday. “This is a club with a great tradition and fantastic fans. I’ve watched them a number of times on TV and I like the way they play. I’m relishing the challenge that lies ahead of me and want to play my part in the future success of VfB.”
“With his ball skills and his energy levels, Lorenz is going to fit in very well with our playing style,” said Christian Gentner, VfB’s sporting director. “Over the past few years, he has shown his qualities in Ligue 1 and in the Premier League and acquired some important experience. Lorenz has already achieved high levels in his game, but at the same time, we’re sure that he will be able to take the next steps in his development with us. We’re looking forward to having him with us and giving him a warm VfB welcome.”
Assignon was born on 22 June 2000 in Grasse, on the French Riviera, with dual French and Togolese citizenship. In 2015, he joined Rennes’ youth academy, debuting for the first team on 12 September 2021 at the age of 21, in Ligue 1. He has gone on to make a total of 98 appearances for the Brittany club, scoring seven goals and setting up 11 more.
Assignon was sent out on loan twice during his time at Rennes. The first of those spells came in the second half of the 2020/21 season, where he played 13 times for Bastia in the French second division, managing a goal and two assists. In the latter half of the 2023/24 season, he made 15 appearances for Burnley in the English Premier League, again scoring once and setting up another two. In the 2024/25 season that has just concluded, he was a regular for Rennes, playing in a total of 34 matches, scoring four and setting up five.
Three facts about new signing Lorenz Assignon
European experience: Although still young at just 24 years old, Assignon already has ten appearances in the UEFA Europa League to his name and three more in the UEFA Conference League. He also played three times in the UEFA Youth League.
We meet again: Assignon played the second half of the 2023/24 season in the English Premier League with Burnley, where VfB’s Ameen Al-Dakhil was one of his team-mates. He also played alongside Anthony Rouault, who left Stuttgart for Rennes during the winter transfer window.
Talent pool: Rennes are reputed throughout Europe for the strength of their academy. The club regularly unearth promising young players, with standouts over recent years including Ousmane Dembélé (currently with Paris Saint-Germain), Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid) and Jérémy Doku (Manchester City).