Eintracht Frankfurt are building towards a new Bundesliga campaign under returning coach Adi Hütter, and the pre-season picture is beginning to take shape. A 5-1 win over regional rivals FSV Frankfurt on Wednesday provided a confidence boost, with the club now preparing for their final pre-season test at Premier League side Brentford on Saturday before competitive football begins.

The squad, though, is not yet complete. Reports from Bild suggest Hütter wants two more signings, one in defence and one in attack, with the current group considered too quiet in terms of leadership. Striker Ermedin Demirovic of VfB Stuttgart has been linked, but the Bosnian international appears firmly committed to Stuttgart. Arnaud Kalimuendo, who impressed on loan from Nottingham Forest last season, remains a target, though his fee would likely exceed 20 million euros. Frankfurt must also move on surplus strikers, including Elye Wahi, Jessic Ngankam, Michy Batshuayi and Noel Futkeu, before finalising incomings.

Off the pitch, the club's absence from European competition this season looms as a significant backdrop. The TV guide for Frankfurt's upcoming fixtures confirms the club will not feature in European football in 2026/27, their first such absence in six years, a direct consequence of last season's poor run under Albert Riera. Riera, who has now reportedly agreed a deal with Red Star Belgrade, left Frankfurt amid serious tensions with players and staff, and the fallout continued into the summer with a public social media outburst directed at club chief Axel Hellmann.

The Bundesliga season opens on 29 August away at Union Berlin.