Atubolu had set his heart on leaving SC Freiburg this summer, initially targeting a move to the Premier League, but no serious offers materialised and he even parted ways with his agency along the way, turning down interest from Olympique Marseille in the process.
To make the Bundesliga switch happen, the goalkeeper agreed to extend his contract at Freiburg by a year, since players cannot be loaned out once their deal is set to expire — a technicality that opened the door to Eintracht Frankfurt agreeing a loan with a conditional obligation to buy for €13m next summer, according to Sky, though Kicker reports a different structure of a €1m loan fee and a €12.5m purchase obligation that could rise to €16m with bonuses.
Sporting director Markus Krösche welcomed the signing as a response to a problem that had become impossible to ignore.
"With Noah Atubolu we're adding a strong, ambitious and already very experienced goalkeeper. He brings great potential, a lot of mentality and the quality needed to give our team important impulses. We're convinced that Noah will take the next step in his development with us and strengthen us on the pitch," Krösche said.
Atubolu himself was enthusiastic about the move.
"I'm very happy to be here, and I can hardly wait to get started at Eintracht Frankfurt. I know the city, the club and the stadium, and I've always experienced the matches here as something special. I'm really looking forward to the new challenge," he said.
The move follows Frankfurt's 7-0 pre-season humbling by Brentford, a result that crystallised head coach Adi Hütter's determination to find a new first-choice goalkeeper.
Incumbent Kauã Santos has lost the coaching staff's confidence, and Michael Zetterer has also failed to convince, with the German understood to be closing in on a move to Leeds United. Atubolu could make his Frankfurt debut as soon as Saturday's league opener against Union Berlin.