Kento Shiogai joins VfL Wolfsburg on contract until 2030

At the Volkswagen Arena this afternoon, VfL Wolfsburg officially announced the signing of 20-year-old Japanese striker Kento Shiogai from Eredivisie side NEC Nijmegen.

The transfer was completed for a total of approximately €9 million; Shiogai was the main transfer target for Wolfsburg in the weeks prior to the move, following a brilliant start to the 2025/26 season in which he scored seven goals in a span of twelve matches in the Dutch top-flight.

Shiogai will be contracted to the club until the end of the 2029/30 season. He will wear number 7 at the club, the same number that Danish right winger Andreas Skov Olsen wore before his loan departure to Scottish Premiership side Rangers FC earlier this week.

VfL Wolfsburg sporting director Pirmin Schwegler had a few positive things to say about Shiogai.

“Kento is a young and talented player with a great amount of potential; on the pitch, he stands out for his pace, intensity, and strong pressing, and he has qualities that perfectly fit our squad. We are delighted that we were able to convince him to join VfL, and we will support him in settling into his new environment and the Bundesliga as quickly as possible.”

“I am absolutely thrilled to be here in Wolfsburg now. Moving to the Bundesliga is a big step for me, and I am very excited to take on the challenge here,” Shiogai himself said about the transfer.

“I am going to give 100% for the team and continue to develop as a player for our future. I cannot wait to get started as a Wolf.”

Shiogai is the third Japanese player to play for VfL Wolfsburg in the 80-year history of the club. The other two were Makoto Hasebe, who was part of the 2008/09 Meisterschale-winning squad and scored 6 goals in 159 appearances in all competitions between 2008 and 2013; and Yoshito Ōkubo, who was also part of the 2008/09 squad and made 13 appearances that season before returning to J1 League side Vissel Kobe.