The most pressing issue at Eintracht Frankfurt right now is the goalkeeper position, and the club is racing against time to resolve it before Saturday's Bundesliga opener at Union Berlin. The situation traces back to a 7-0 pre-season loss to Brentford, which convinced coach Adi Hütter that neither Kaua Santos nor Michael Zetterer was fit to be his number one. That result forced a sharp change of direction from sporting director Markus Krösche, who had previously insisted the existing duo was sufficient.

The preferred solution is SC Freiburg's Noah Atubolu, and kicker reports that a significant obstacle was cleared this week when Atubolu extended his Freiburg contract, making a loan deal with a purchase obligation legally possible. Freiburg coach Julian Schuster confirmed the keeper is training fully and would arrive at any new club in top condition. Contacts between the two clubs began on Sunday evening, and Frankfurt want Atubolu in goal for the Union Berlin match. The 24-year-old, who had a turbulent summer after parting ways with his agency following failed moves to bigger clubs, has now committed to Frankfurt as his destination.

Elsewhere in the squad, the Elye Wahi situation has reached a quiet conclusion. The striker, signed for around 26 million euros in January 2025 but limited to one goal in 25 appearances, has been loaned back to OGC Nice, who retain a purchase option. It is a clean outcome for a transfer that never worked, even if Frankfurt failed to recover significant funds. With the Bundesliga campaign starting at the Alte Försterei on Saturday, Hütter needs the goalkeeper question answered fast.