VfB Stuttgart have officially completed the signing of Red Star Belgrade attacker Lazar Jovanovic. The 18-year-old heads to the Bundesliga on a €5m transfer from his Serbian outfit. At his official unveiling, Jovanovic noted that he was especially impressed by his new club. The teenage talent also revealed that his father, former Liverpool professional Milan Jovanovic, would be moving to Germany with him.
“I was impressed by Stuttgart in the Champions League,” Jovanovic noted in a statement published on Stuttgart’s website. “There were a lot of strong games. Only in Belgrade [where Red Star defeated Stuttgart 5-1 in a group stage fixture] did things go in a completely different direction for VfB.
“I’m looking forward to the adventure,” the Serbian U21 international’s statement continued. “This will be the first time I’ve played for a club far away from home, which is something very special. It’s a dream to be able to play here and develop further.”
The youngster will actually be bringing an old DFB nemesis to Germany with him. Lazar’s father Milan famously scored the winning goal in Serbia’s 1-0 defeat over Germany in the second group stage fixture. Lazar revealed that – since he doesn’t have a driving permit yet – Milan would be serving as his chauffeur.
“My father will come with me to Germany in order to make it easier for me to settle in,” Jovanovic also noted in his statement. “My dad can drive me to the training sessions.“
“We have been watching Lazar Jovanovic closely for a long time,” VfB sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth noted in his own statement. “As a very young player, he played numerous games in the Serbian first division last season and performed well. He also demonstrated his qualities in the Youth League. We believe Lazar is ready to make the move to VfB and the Bundesliga and welcome him to Stuttgart.“
