West Ham have set their sights on Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu, as reported by transfer ITK Fabrizio Romano.
The Hammers are in the market for a new #1 with Lukas Fabianski coming towards the end of his career. Alphonse Areola was believed to be the long term replacement between the sticks but has failed to convince and fallen out with Irons boss Julen Lopetegui.
22-year-old Atubolu, familiar to West Ham’s director of football Tim Steidten, has been impressing this season after an inconsistent start to life as Freiburg’s number one.
The 6ft 3in stopper has had to endure a lot of hype during his fledgling career having been tipped to succeed Manuel Neuer as Germany’s number one.
Atubolu became first-choice last season, showing flashes of brilliance but also signs of inexperience, reflected in 10 clean sheets from 34 games and a disappointing -6.8 goals prevented. However, the German Under-21 international has turned his form around this campaign, delivering standout performances with clean sheets against Werder Bremen, Union Berlin, Mainz 05, and Heidenheim.
Even in Freiburg’s 3-2 victory over Wolfsburg, Atubolu was the game-changer, pulling off match-winning saves to secure three vital points and earning high praise from manager Julian Schuster.
West Ham fans may remember him well from last season’s Europa League encounter, where Atubolu produced a stellar display in the 1-0 first-leg win, making four key saves inside the box. With scouts now monitoring his progress, Atubolu could be a player to watch for the Hammers in the near future