With new director of sport, Max Eberl, and new head coach- Vincent Kompany seemingly seeing eye to eye regarding a squad overhaul ahead of the 2024/25 season, Hiroki Ito became the first summer signing of Bayern Munich.
From seemingly out of nowhere, Bayern triggered Ito's €30 million release clause and signed him to a four-year contract without much fanfare. With the Rekordmeister’s defensive personnel far from being a forgone conclusion for the upcoming season, here are some reasons why the acquisition of the Japanese international could turn out to be a shrewd move.
A naturally left footed centre-back
After the sale of Lucas Hernandez to PSG, Bayern didn't have a naturally left-footed center-back in the squad. With various reports indicating that Die Roten have plans to sell Matthijs de Ligt to reduce the wage bill and because of his injury record, Ito's signing makes perfect sense. The Japanese defender can provide more balance to the team than the Dutchman did by operating on the left side of the defense.