On Monday, rumors began circulating that Hiroki Ito might still leave FC Bayern in the final moments of the transfer window. His agents apparently offered the Japanese player to Ajax Amsterdam. Now Christoph Freund has set the record straight.
It was a somewhat surprising report, as Bayern’s roster has been thinned out a bit following the latest moves. And Ito can play both as a center back and on the wing.
That’s a level of flexibility that fits well with FC Bayern and the current situation. During the press conference ahead of Bayern’s Cup match against VfL Osnabrück, sporting director Freund explained that he was aware of the rumors surrounding a potential departure.
Freund on Ito: “We’ve heard about it.”
“I’ve also read the rumors about Hiroki. But I can say that there’s nothing urgent,” said the Austrian. By extension, this means that no transfer is imminent and that the story has been blown out of proportion.
Freund confirmed this once again: “We’ve heard about it, but we’re planning on Ito staying with us.” This means that, in all likelihood, the Japanese player will not be transferring after all.
Ito actually has a profile that’s appealing to Bayern, but the problem was that he was sidelined by several metatarsal fractures. He had to fight his way back multiple times and go through a long rehabilitation period. This summer, he played for Japan at the 2026 World Cup; afterward, he remained fit and completed the entire preseason.
That’s why there’s a good chance that Ito will finally be able to show what Munich expects of him in the new season. At the very least, he’s planned as a reliable backup. The sporting director’s statements from Tuesday reinforce this once again.
