Eintracht Frankfurt head into the new season under serious pressure after a 0-7 pre-season collapse against Brentford exposed deep squad problems and triggered an emergency rethink in the transfer market. The result was not just a heavy defeat; it forced sporting director Markus Krösche into a sharp reversal on goalkeeping policy. Having publicly insisted during pre-season that the club would stick with Kaua Santos and Michael Zetterer, the front office has now moved to find a new number one. Santos made another costly error in the Brentford defeat, and coach Adi Hütter is said to have lost confidence in him entirely. SC Freiburg's Noah Atubolu is the preferred target, though Freiburg are demanding between 15 and 20 million euros, and Lukas Hradecky at Monaco has also been mentioned as an alternative.

The problems extend beyond the goalkeeping position. Captain Robin Koch was forced off against Brentford after taking a blow to the cervical spine, leaving his fitness uncertain ahead of the DFB-Pokal first round. Hütter has been open about the squad's shortcomings, saying it is not yet what he wants. The club is still searching for a centre-back and a striker, with Arnaud Kalimuendo the preferred forward option, though Nottingham Forest's asking price of around 35 million euros has stalled that deal. On the outgoing side, Elye Wahi remains difficult to shift despite two rejected Premier League and Serie A offers, while Ellyes Skhiri and Michy Batshuayi are also expected to leave.

Frankfurt travel to fifth-tier SC St. Tönis in the DFB-Pokal on August 21, a fixture that should bring relief, but the Bundesliga opener at Union Berlin on August 29 looms as the real test of whether Krösche can assemble a functional squad in time.