Eintracht Frankfurt have ended their goalkeeper crisis by securing Noah Atubolu from SC Freiburg on a loan deal with a mandatory purchase clause of 13 million euros, payable next summer. The 24-year-old, who arrived in Frankfurt this week to complete his medical, brings a resolution to what had been the defining storyline of the club's pre-season. Trainer Adi Hütter lost faith in both Kaua Santos and Michael Zetterer after a catastrophic 0-7 friendly defeat to Brentford in August, and made clear he would not begin the Bundesliga season with either as his first choice.

Atubolu's arrival follows a turbulent transfer saga. He had rejected a contract extension at Freiburg in May, chasing a Premier League move that never materialised, before sacking his agency Epic Sports and accepting Frankfurt as what he described as the most stable option available. To make the loan structure possible, he first extended his Freiburg contract beyond its 2027 expiry date, as players with expiring deals cannot be loaned. Zetterer, meanwhile, appears set to join Leeds United for around five million euros, which would recoup exactly what Frankfurt paid for him last summer.

The squad picture is further shaped by the departure of striker Elye Wahi, loaned again to OGC Nizza after failing to justify his 26-million-euro price tag with just one goal in 25 appearances. Frankfurt now head to Alte Foersterei to face Union Berlin on Saturday in their Bundesliga opener, with Atubolu expected to start in goal if his paperwork clears in time.