kicker reports that an unusual step this week has apparently removed a major obstacle to the keeper's move to the Main.
According to the report, Atubolu has extended his contract at SC, which had been due to run until 2027. That is a surprising move in principle for a player who wants to leave, but in this case it increases the chances of a switch to Frankfurt in the current transfer window.
Frankfurt want to sign the former Germany Under-21 international goalkeeper as their new number one, but right now they cannot finance a permanent deal. A one-year loan with an obligation to buy or an option to buy had not previously been possible because Atubolu's contract was due to expire after next season. Players with expiring contracts are not allowed to go out on loan.
That now makes this route possible and, apparently, likely. According to kicker, officials from both clubs have been in contact since Sunday evening with the aim of reaching a swift agreement. SGE want Atubolu in goal as early as Saturday for the opening matchday of the new Bundesliga season at Union Berlin.
For weeks, the 24-year-old's future has been a major talking point. It has long been clear that he wants to leave Freiburg. The Europa League finalists moved early too, signing Mio Backhaus (22) from Werder Bremen as a replacement for a fee of 12 million euros. Atubolu, though, still has no new club. The intended move to the Premier League fell through, while rumours of a transfer to big names such as Juventus or Olympique Marseille never became concrete.
How expensive would a transfer of Noah Atubolu be for Eintracht Frankfurt?
At times, Atubolu even parted ways with his agency because of the deadlocked situation and is now said to have set his sights on a move within the Bundesliga to Eintracht.
For Freiburg, the alleged extension also brings advantages: it removes the worst-case scenario of losing their former number one on a free transfer after next season. Originally, the club bosses were said to have hoped for a fee of 20 million euros for Atubolu. Now there is talk of an asking price of 15 million euros.
Getty ImagesSpeaking on the sidelines of the 5-1 win at Fortuna Düsseldorf in the first round of the DFB Cup last weekend, SCF coach Julian Schuster (41) had already addressed a possible move for Atubolu to Eintracht: "Fundamentally, Frankfurt are a very, very big club in Germany. So that can be a possibility, that he stands between the posts there."
Schuster also stressed that if a move happens, Atubolu will arrive at his new club in peak condition. He added that the keeper, who should also be a serious option for the Germany national team in the coming years, has not been frozen out of training. "We are always in contact and then integrate him into training accordingly. That is our job and our duty when someone is under contract. And he is. That's why we make sure we work him and train him so that he is fundamentally at a new level there," said Schuster.