The Basque team have officially announced Korkut’s signing from VfB Stuttgart, where he played primarily for the club’s reserve side
Athletic Club have officially completed the signing of Efe Korkut, with the 19-year-old midfielder committing to the Basque club until June 30, 2028, with an option to extend the agreement by a further two seasons.
Korkut will immediately join Bilbao Athletic, who compete in Primera RFEF, as he begins the next phase of his career at Lezama.
Born in San Sebastián, Korkut returns to Basque football after completing his development in Germany. He arrives from VfB Stuttgart, where he featured primarily for the club’s reserve side while also gaining exposure to first-team environments.
The LaLiga club confirmed the transfer in an official statement that outlined both the contract details and the player’s profile.
“Athletic Club have signed 19-year-old midfielder Efe Korkut from German club VfB Stuttgart, where he was playing for the second team,” Athletic Club’s statement read.
“The Donostia-born midfielder, who will go straight into the Bilbao Athletic squad, has signed a contract through to 30 June 2028, with an option to extend for two seasons. Efe is a skillful and versatile central midfielder with attacking instincts, who can also play as an inverted winger.”
Korkut brings with him solid experience for his age. This season, he has made 16 official appearances for Stuttgart II and has also taken part in several friendly matches with the Bundesliga side’s first team.
💥 El Athletic Club ficha a Efe Korkut.
El centrocampista donostiarra del @VfB firma hasta 2028 y se incorpora de manera inmediata al #BilbaoAthletic
😃 Ongi etorri, Efe!#AthleticLezama 🦁
— Athletic Club (@AthleticClub) February 1, 2026
How does Efe Korkut qualify to play for Athetlic Club
Korkut’s eligibility to represent Athletic Club is rooted in both his place of birth and his family background.
He was born to a Basque mother in San Sebastián during his father Tayfun Korkut’s spell as a player at Real Sociedad, giving him a direct connection to the Basque Country despite being raised and trained abroad.
His father later went on to build a coaching career in Germany, which is where Efe completed his football education. That pathway saw the younger Korkut progress through the VfB Stuttgart academy system and into the reserve team, competing regularly in the 3. Liga.
During the early part of the current season, Korkut was a regular starter under Stuttgart II head coach Nico Willig.
However, his role diminished as the campaign progressed, with his last league start coming at the beginning of November.
VfB Stuttgart academy director Stephan Hildebrandt spoke positively about the midfielder’s qualities when confirming his departure.
“He was one of those talents who was particularly creative and understood the game,” Hildebrandt noted in a club statement.
“Efe has now decided to leave VfB and take on a new challenge at an ambitious club in his mother’s home country.”