Atubolu set to team up with Onyedika at Frankfurt

Nigerian goalkeeper Noah Atubolu is getting ready to join Raphael Onyedika at Eintracht Frankfurt. This comes after SC Freiburg took a big step to sort out his transfer. Atubolu is expected to extend his contract before possibly moving on loan to the Bundesliga team.

Kicker reports that Freiburg and Atubolu have agreed in principle on a contract extension. This move will help make the loan happen while also protecting the club’s finances.

The 24-year-old goalkeeper is also wanted by Marseille. He was under contract until June 2027 but turned down an earlier extension. He was aiming for a move to a bigger club, especially in the Premier League. That move did not happen, even though there was interest from Aston Villa, Bournemouth, and Hull City.

Atubolu is heading into the season after three years as Freiburg’s first-choice goalkeeper. He played a big part in helping the club reach the 2026 UEFA Europa League final. Last season, he made 36 appearances in the Bundesliga. He has also been called up to the senior Germany team but was not included in the country’s 2026 World Cup squad.

His way back into the Freiburg team got blocked when the club signed Mio Backhaus from Werder Bremen as their new number one goalkeeper. Frankfurt has been looking for a goalkeeper after they lost 7-0 to Brentford in pre-season, which raised concerns about that position.

Freiburg values Atubolu at around €15 million. Frankfurt has been hesitant to pay that amount upfront. So, an extension followed by a loan, which might include a purchase clause, is the best option for both clubs.

Atubolu is eligible to play for both Germany and Nigeria. He has made 22 appearances for the German U-21 team but has not played for the senior team, keeping the door open for him to play for the Super Eagles.

If he joins Frankfurt, he will link up with Onyedika, who just completed a five-year transfer to the club from Club Brugge this month. Onyedika will be the sixth Nigerian to play for Frankfurt. He follows in the footsteps of Isaac Ojigwe, Donald Agu, Nduka Anyanwu, Henry Isaac, and Austin Okocha.

Onyedika has made a quick impact at his new club. He earned a 9.1 SofaScore rating in Frankfurt’s 11-0 win over SC St. Tönis in the first round of the DFB-Pokal. This was the club’s biggest win in the history of the competition.