Noah Atubolu trains alone as Freiburg future remains unresolved

SC Freiburg opened their pre-season in front of fans on Sunday, but Noah Atubolu was not part of the main session as uncertainty over his future continues.

Instead of joining team training, the 24-year-old goalkeeper worked individually with goalkeeping coach Michael Müller on a separate pitch, a sign that his situation is still in flux.

Head coach Julian Schuster confirmed that Atubolu is carefully weighing his next step. “We are looking at things day by day to find what is right for Atu. Of course there are always talks in this phase,” Schuster told Kicker, underlining that discussions are ongoing rather than close to a conclusion. Sporting director Jochen Saier echoed that message, saying Atubolu is currently “in a phase where he is holding talks and weighing things up”.

For weeks, a departure has been considered likely. Atubolu has hoped for a move to the Premier League or a club with Champions League ambitions, but concrete offers have not materialised, with newly promoted Hull City the only serious link so far, a destination that reportedly fails to excite him. Freiburg, meanwhile, have already covered themselves by signing Mio Backhaus as their new first-choice keeper.

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