Nigeria-eligible keeper Atubolu could come to England as West Ham step up pursuit of him

NIGERIA-eligible goalkeeper German Noah Atubolu could be set to come to the English Premier League during the forthcoming January transfer window as West Ham are looking to purchase him from Bundesliga side Freiburg.

Atubolu, 22, made his European debut for German Bundesliga club Freiburg in a 1-1 draw with Qarabag FK on match day six of the Europa League way back in 2022. Touted as the top teenage goalkeeper in European football that could potentially play for Nigeria's senior national team, Atubolu made his senior debut for Freiburg that year when he started against St Pauli in the second round of the German cup.

Transfer market guru Fabrizio Romano, has reported that the Hammers have been scouting Atubolu with a view to signing him. Atubolu, the dual-national player is the second youngest goalkeeper to feature in this season's Bundesliga, behind Eintracht Frankfurt's Kauã Santos.

Atubolu was a player of interest to former Nigeria boss Jose Peseiro before the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations but the Portuguese football tactician admitted that it would be difficult to convince him to switch his international allegiance from Germany to Nigeria due to his prospects with the German national team. Last season, Atubolu was installed as first choice goalkeeper at Freiburg following the sale of Netherlands international Mark Flekken to Premier League club Brentford.

Firmly established as a regular, Atubolu has made 61 first team appearances for Freiburg and has posted 21 clean sheets, including 14 in the German top flight. With 39-year-old Lukasz Fabianski now West Ham's first-choice goalkeeper after replacing 31-year-old Alphonse Areola, the Hammers view Atubolu as a potential long-term solution.