VfB Stuttgart sign Leo Sauer from Feyenoord on deal through 2031
VfB Stuttgart have confirmed the signing of Slovakia international Leo Sauer from Feyenoord. The 20-year-old attacking player has agreed a contract through 30 June 2031.
VfB Stuttgart have signed Slovakian attacking player Leo Sauer from Feyenoord, adding another young option to their forward group before the 2026/27 campaign. The Bundesliga club announced the move on 29 July 2026 after Sauer completed his medical, confirming a contract that runs until 30 June 2031 and shirt number 44.
The announcement gives a clear outline of the deal, while leaving the financial terms undisclosed. Stuttgart's statement and the Bundesliga's official report do not publish a transfer fee, so there is no reliable basis for putting a price on the move.
What Stuttgart confirmed
Sauer arrives after the most substantial senior stretch of his career to date at Feyenoord and in the Eredivisie. Stuttgart described the 20-year-old as an offensive player who has already gained experience in domestic competition, UEFA club tournaments and international football with Slovakia.
Sporting board member Fabian Wohlgemuth presented the signing as part of a longer-term plan. His assessment, as reported by the Bundesliga, is that Sauer has shown his qualities in the Eredivisie, the Europa League and for the Slovak national team. The club also linked the transfer to its intention to keep developing an attacking style over the next few seasons.
Sauer himself said that joining a club with Stuttgart's history and support was a significant step, and that he was looking forward to meeting his new team-mates and playing for the club. Those comments are the player's first recorded reaction in the official announcement; they do not amount to a forecast about his role, minutes or starting position.
A pathway that began in Slovakia
Sauer started at Slovan Bratislava before moving through the youth teams at MSK Zilina. He went abroad in the summer of 2022, joining Feyenoord at the age of 16 and initially playing for the Dutch club's under-21 side.
His Eredivisie debut came on 20 August 2023. The official Bundesliga account says he then made 63 further appearances in the Netherlands' top division, including 31 during the 2024/25 season when he spent the campaign on loan at NAC Breda. Across those Eredivisie appearances, he recorded 12 goals and eight assists, according to the same report.
That record is useful context, but it should not be mistaken for a promise of immediate output in Germany. The figures cover different teams, seasons and competitive circumstances. Stuttgart's announcement establishes Sauer's experience; it does not claim that his previous production will transfer directly to the Bundesliga.
European and international experience
Sauer's résumé also includes senior European football. The Bundesliga says he played six Europa League matches for Feyenoord last season and scored once. In the 2023/24 campaign, he made two Champions League appearances. The experience matters because Stuttgart are preparing for a season in which their squad will have to balance domestic fixtures with a wider European calendar, but the official announcement does not specify how the club plans to deploy him across competitions.
At international level, Sauer has won 11 caps for Slovakia. He made his senior debut on 26 March 2024 in a 1-1 draw with Norway and was included in Slovakia's squad for UEFA EURO 2024 in Germany, where he played once. These are established milestones in his progression, not evidence of a fixed place in the national team or Stuttgart's first XI.
What the move means for Stuttgart
For Stuttgart, the signing adds a player with a multi-season runway ahead of him and experience that extends beyond youth football. The length of the contract points to a commitment to development, while Sauer's previous work in the Eredivisie gives the club a player already familiar with the demands of senior competition.
The timing is straightforward: the 2026/27 Bundesliga season is due to begin on 28 August, with Stuttgart scheduled to open away to Bayern Munich, according to the Bundesliga's published calendar. Before then, Sauer will have to integrate into Sebastian Hoeneß's squad and compete for opportunities. The official announcement does not say whether he will be ready for the opening fixture, nor does it state a target for his first appearance.
That restraint is important. A completed medical and a confirmed contract establish the transfer; they do not settle questions about adaptation, selection or performance. The defensible takeaway is narrower and more useful: Stuttgart have secured a 20-year-old Slovakia international from Feyenoord on a deal through June 2031, with a documented record in the Eredivisie and European competition.
The confirmed picture
As of the announcement, the known details are the player, his former club, the contract end date, his squad number and the completion of his medical. The transfer fee, personal salary, release clauses and tactical role are not disclosed in the official report. Any account that adds those details would be moving beyond the evidence currently available.
For now, Sauer's arrival is best read as a long-term attacking investment ahead of a new Bundesliga season. The next meaningful evidence will come from his integration into training, match selections and competitive minutes—developments that can be reported when the club officially confirms them.
Source: Bundesliga's official report on Leo Sauer's move to VfB Stuttgart.