Two keepers, one fate! Have they blown it this summer? | OneFootball

Two goalkeepers had the same plan for this summer’s transfer window. They wanted to move abroad. But shortly before deadline day, it looks as though both may have seriously miscalculated.

Both Noah Atubolu and Florian Kastenmeier wanted to take their careers in a new direction, away from Germany. But right now, things look very different for both of them. While the Freiburg man is now staying in the Bundesliga after all, time is running out for the former Düsseldorf keeper.

Atubolu has a new club, but not the one he expected. The 24-year-old wanted to move to the Premier League this summer. He had communicated that to the club’s decision-makers. That is why Freiburg looked for a replacement. Mio Backhaus arrived from Bremen and is also between the posts this Sunday against his former club.

Atubolu, meanwhile, found himself stuck in limbo because no club from England came in for him. That is likely what ultimately led him to part ways with his agency. Several media outlets, including 'Kicker', have reported this. He had only joined them at the start of the year.

Now the Germany youth international has moved to Eintracht Frankfurt on loan. Since a permanent transfer is said to be too expensive for the Hessians, he will initially join on loan. According to 'Sky', however, there is said to be an obligation to buy for 13 million euros. In their press release, Frankfurt describe it as a loan with an option to buy, which under certain conditions turns into an obligation to buy.

At SGE, Atubolu is likely to become the number one straight away. He was already in goal in the 3-3 opening draw against Union Berlin. Frankfurt are apparently unhappy with Kauã Santos, while Zetterer officially moved to Leeds United in England yesterday evening.

For Atubolu, the Premier League remains a distant prospect for now. But he seems happy with the move. At least that is what his words at his unveiling suggest: "I know the city, the club and the stadium, and I have always experienced matches here as something special. I’m really looking forward to the new challenge."

He will miss out on Conference League matches because of the move, which Freiburg qualified for, but with Eintracht he can challenge for the international places in the Bundesliga as well as in the DFB-Pokal.

It was in that very cup that both clubs recently enjoyed a successful start: while Frankfurt swept SpVgg St. Tönis aside 11-0, Freiburg won 5-1 away at Fortuna Düsseldorf.

At the relegated third-division club from the Rhineland, the trail leads to the second unlucky figure of the summer. After seven years with the Red-Whites, Florian Kastenmeier also wanted to seek out a new challenge.

Like Atubolu, the 29-year-old is said to dream of a move abroad. "I have set goals for my career that I want to achieve. Ideally with Fortuna. But those goals have recently moved far out of reach, and I am at an age where I have to take the next step in order to continue on my personal path," the keeper said in an emotional statement. The fans did not hold the wish against the club legend.

Since then, however, things have gone quiet around him. According to media reports, he may have miscalculated because he is being too picky. He is said to have already turned down several clubs such as Hertha BSC and Hannover 96. 'Kicker' reports this. Werder Bremen also apparently wanted him as their new number two.

But he seems to have bigger ambitions. At the end of July, a report by the 'Berliner Kurier' said that Serie A club Como were interested. However, he would "only" be the number two there as well. On the other hand, he would at least have the chance to get a little taste of the Champions League. Even if only from the bench.

Time is running out. While Atubolu has found his new club, Kastenmeier cannot afford to be too selective. After all, the season has already started, and many clubs have already settled on their first-choice keeper. In the end, it has been a turbulent summer for both, though for one of them the outcome is still uncertain. Whether it all ends in a real happy ending will be shown not only in the coming days, but above all in the months ahead.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

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