SC Freiburg ties Noah Atubolu to himself: 3rd division “does him good”

You have a longer contract with Flekken, so you don’t have to sell. However, it is difficult to trust Atubolu internally, who shows really good performances and has the “Freiburg DNA” as a native of Freiburg and on whom you could build longer – and then it’s different when Flekken says – I want this or by all means do that, please let me go. Then you can let him go.

And if Flekken actually decides to stay, you can do that with a further contract extension and pension contract and thus have planning security and could also sell Atubolu, despite great talent. That should also be over in a year or two, because at 31 Flekken will have fewer chances at the one big club that really wants him. If so, then that will happen at the end of this season (WM, then almost 30, still has a few years ahead of him as a really good keeper, which should then also attract the larger clubs more than a 31 or 32-year-old Flekken without a World Cup year.

I therefore see little danger for Atubolu to obstruct his career. Either he will be the first-choice goalkeeper here in a year or two because Flekken has changed, or you know that Flekken sees his remaining career in Freiburg and will then hand over Atubolu, and as a young U-21 keeper with plenty of third-division experience for his age, he can then choose from many options.

I’m really happy about the extension because that means the goalkeeper position will be covered for years – either Flekki or Atubolu, one of the two will probably (still) be here in four or five years’ time.