Official | Wolfsburg sign Brazilian centre-back Cleiton (22) on a free | OneFootball

Bundesliga outfit VfL Wolfsburg have officially confirmed their first January signing. Brazilian centre-back Cleiton of Flamengo Rio de Janeiro joins Germany’s green company team on a free transfer that will render him eligible to play in Germany after the turn of the 2026 calendar year. The deal – previously reported on by Get German Football News in October – has been in the works for some time.

Despite the fact that Wolfsburg have been plagued by administrative problems, the Lower Saxon club was able to conclude the deal anyway. Wolfsburg managing director Peter Christiansen – the last man left standing after Wolfsburg sacked head coach Paul Simonis and sporting director Sebastian Schindzielorz – handled the PR statements accompanying the signing. New sporting director Pirmin Schwegler is still settling in. 

“Cleiton combines physical presence with solid game intelligence,” Christiansen noted in a club statement, “He is a left-footed, modern centre-back with great potential for development. We are confident that Cleiton will gradually work his way up to Bundesliga level with us and, in the long term, play an important role in our defense.“

“The move to VfL Wolfsburg is a big step in my career,” the player himself added. “The Bundesliga is one of the strongest leagues in the world  and I want to learn and develop every day here.”

GGFN | Peter Weis