Bayern Munich have ended transfer speculation surrounding Hiroki Ito. The Japanese defender will stay with the record champions following a clear statement from sporting director Christoph Freund.
Freund told Bild Sport this week that selling Ito was never a major aim for the club. "It was never our big intention to give Hiroki away!" said the 49-year-old director. This statement contrasts with an earlier remark from board member for sport Max Eberl. The 52-year-old had publicly mentioned the 27-year-old defender as a potential transfer candidate in July: "If there should be any thought of a move for Hiroki because he himself notices it's getting difficult, then we will deal with it."
Why is Bayern changing its transfer stance?
The clear U-turn has several reasons. Central is the current fitness of Hiroki Ito. The all-rounder, who can play both centre-back and left-back, has overcome his injury problems. After three midfoot fractures and one muscle tear in the last two years, he is now fully available again. Manager Vincent Kompany, 40, can therefore use him as a versatile option in defence. Furthermore, some transfer windows have already closed. A move to interested party Ajax Amsterdam, for example, was no longer possible as the deadline in the Netherlands expired on Wednesday.
How does Ito fit into Bayern's current defence?
The competition in Bayern Munich's defence is fierce. At left-back, Ito competes with Alphonso Davies. The 25-year-old Canadian star is the clear first choice there. In central defence, Minjae Kim, Jonathan Tah and Dayot Upamecano provide three outstanding options. Nevertheless, Ito offers important cover as a versatile squad player. His contract runs until 2028. The current squad depth is a major topic for Kompany, as a look at the squad overview shows. One outfield player who was in the first three matchday squads has yet to play a single minute.
Which transfer windows are still open?
Despite the decision to keep Ito, the summer transfer windows in some countries are not yet closed. In Turkey, the window runs until September 4, in Portugal until September 5. Theoretically, late offers would still be possible. The Bayern leadership, however, has decided not to utilise these options. The club does not want to thin out the defence further, especially after the 4:1 DFB-Pokal win against Osnabrück and facing upcoming Bundesliga challenges. The next fixtures can be seen on the fixtures page.
What does this mean for Bayern's planning?
The clear statement on Hiroki Ito highlights the current strategy. After the expensive signing of Nene Brown from Frankfurt for approximately 50 million euros, the club is now focusing on integrating the existing players. The injury list is currently manageable, which can be tracked on the injuries page. For Hiroki Ito, the decision means planning security. He can fully focus on his role at Bayern Munich and develop further under Vincent Kompany. The Japanese international therefore remains a fixed part of the squad aiming to compete for all titles this season.
