By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Turkish Super Lig champions Galatasaray are reportedly targeting Freiburg’s Nigeria-eligible goalkeeper Noah Atubolu as a potential replacement for long-serving shot-stopper Fernando Muslera, who recently departed the club.
Atubolu, who has established himself as a key figure at Freiburg, even captaining the Bundesliga side on several occasions last season, has attracted interest due to his consistent performances.
Galatasaray view the 23-year-old as a promising long-term solution between the posts.
However, sources suggest that Freiburg are keen to retain one of their most valuable players and are unlikely to entertain offers for Atubolu, who remains eligible to represent both Nigeria and Germany internationally.
Given Freiburg’s stance, Galatasaray may have to explore alternative goalkeeper options ahead of the new season.
The Turkish champions reportedly have Real Madrid’s Andriy Lunin and Marcin Bulka also on their shortlist.
As Galatasaray prepare to strengthen their squad following Muslera’s exit, the race for a reliable goalkeeper remains a priority.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
