Sport Bild Report: Ito and Stuttgart turned down €30 million Saudi offer on deadline day

Germany’s main sporting tabloid reports that VfB Stuttgart defender Hiroki Ito turned down a lucrative offer to join Saudi outfit Al Nassr on deadline day. 

As the latest winter transfer window slammed shut on Thursday, VfB Stuttgart are reported to have received an offer for Japanese national team defender Hiroki Ito. The 24-year-old is rumored to have a €30 million exit clause embedded in the contract extension he signed this past summer. Ito – now valued at €22 million – has already attracted attention from other top European clubs.

Germany’s “Sport Bild” tabloid reports that Saudi outfit Al Nassr attempted to spring Ito’s clause on transfer deadline day. Both player and club nevertheless decided against the move. According to the report, Ito rejected an offer from All Nassr to up the reported €9 million annual salary he received as part of his new VfB working papers. The defender apparently had little interest in leaving Swabia for the Gulf.

The current VfB administrative team remains very active in signing their current core group of players to contract extension. Newly minted German national team winger Chris Führich was the latest to ink a new deal on Thursday. It looks to nevertheless be the case that each extension contains exit clauses for the rising stars. In a report published yesterday, the German tabloid claimed Führich’s exit clause totals €17 million.

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