Aston Villa and AFC Bournemouth have an easy route to sign SC Freiburg’s Noah Atubolu this summer.
Earlier this month, Sport Witness covered claims from Germany that both Aston Villa and Bournemouth are keen.
The Bundesliga side want to extend Atubolu’s contract beyond 2027, but the goalkeeper has other plans. Therefore, he has no future at the club and work is ongoing to find a solution.
Freiburg sporting director Jochen Saier has confirmed their plan to part ways with him.
He said: “It’s no secret that we’ve been working on a contract extension for some time. Communication has always been open, and it’s perfectly legitimate that Noah has decided to pursue a different path.”
Aston Villa and Bournemouth keen
Bild pick up on that and state the 24-year-old’s exit is gaining momentum. The German club have already reacted by signing Mio Backhaus from Werder Bremen for €15m.
SC Freiburg will travel to Austria for a training camp on Wednesday and Noah Atubolu has requested to be left out. That’s because his agents are in talks with several Premier League sides.
The Bundesliga side have accepted his request, to avoid risking injury.
Both Hull City and Coventry City have made advances, but the stopper has rejected the newly promoted Premier League sides.
He clearly finds other options in England ‘more appealing’, and ‘specifically’ Aston Villa and Bournemouth. These two clubs are currently pursuing Atubolu.
Rapid deal desired
The goalkeeper and SC Freiburg want a permanent transfer. Juventus have also shown interest in him but he’s unlikely to join them.
His dream is to make a switch to the Premier League, and the trend now is for the player to head towards England.
In fact, Noah Atubolu and his entourage are expecting to finalise his transfer before the end of July.
Bild don’t mention a preference between Aston Villa and AFC Bournemouth or who is leading the race.
Key transfer points
- Freiburg want to sell Atubolu, after he rejected renewal
- Goalkeeper requests not to travel for pre-season, wants PL move
- Rejects Hull City and Coventry City
- Aston Villa and Bournemouth keen
