VfB have bolstered their attacking options for the 2026/27 season with the signing of Leo Sauer. The 20-year-old joins from Dutch top-flight club Feyenoord, where he gained experience in the Eredivisie, UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League. Sauer has signed a contract valid until 30 June 2031 and will wear the number 44 jersey at VfB.
Leo Sauer:
My aim is to be as successful as possible with VfB in all three competitions.
Sauer, who successfully completed his medical check on Wednesday, said: “It feels great to be part of such a prestigious club now. VfB has a huge profile, a rich tradition and a massive fanbase. I can’t wait to get to know my new team-mates and to play my first game for my new club. My aim is to be as successful as possible with VfB in all three competitions.”
Fabian Wohlgemuth, board member for sport at VfB, said: “Leo has consistently demonstrated his qualities in the Dutch Eredivisie, the Europa League and at international level with Slovakia, and is a player with real long-term potential for us – not least because of his age. We are confident that he will help us build on and further develop our attacking style of play over the coming years.”
Eleven senior caps for Slovakia
Sauer took his first steps in the game in his native Slovakia at Slovan Bratislava before climbing through the youth ranks at the MSK Zilina academy. In summer 2022, at the age of 16, he moved abroad for the first time when he switched to Feyenoord.
He initially played for the Dutch club’s U21s but made his Eredivisie debut on 20 August 2023. Sauer subsequently made a further 63 top-flight appearances in the Netherlands, including 31 on loan for NAC Breda in 2024/25. He registered 12 goals and eight assists in the Eredivisie overall.
Sauer also made six Europa League appearances for Feyenoord last season, scoring once, while he also featured twice for the club in the Champions League in 2023/24.
The attacker has earned 11 senior caps for Slovakia to date. He made his senior debut on 26 March 2024 at the age of 18 in a 1-1 draw against Norway and was also part of the Slovakia squad at the 2024 European Championship in Germany, where he made one appearance.
