Aston Villa Closing in on £25m Atubolu: a right move for Emery

Aston Villa are on the verge of securing SC Freiburg’s 23‑year‑old goalkeeper Noah Atubolu for a fee reported around £25 million, with negotiations now in an advanced stage as the summer window draws to a close for the club.

Unai Emery wants real competition and dependable cover for first‑choice keeper Emi Martinez, and Atubolu fits that brief on paper. The Villa board see the 23‑year‑old as a potential long‑term successor.

The German goalkeeper turned down Championship interest from Hull City and Coventry City, insisting on a proper top‑flight set‑up. Talks with Juventus, AC Milan and Newcastle have cooled off, leaving Villa in pole position.

SC Freiburg have already snapped up Mio Backhaus to take over the gloves, a proactive move by a club that rarely signs replacements without a firm reason. The club’s swift action underlines their intent to fill the vacancy.

Freiburg are asking between €25 million and €30 million for Atubolu, roughly £21 million to £26 million, and expect the fee to fund their future plans. Money aside, the player’s camp has made it clear that the project must convince him.

During the 2025/26 Bundesliga campaign Atubolu logged 3,060 minutes across all 34 league fixtures, kept six clean sheets and posted a 63.92 % save rate. FotMob gave him an average performance rating of 6.83.

He also made 15 starts in the Europa League, collecting five clean sheets, including a 3‑0 defeat against Villa in the final in May. Those continental outings added valuable experience.

Emi Martinez, 32, remains the undisputed first‑choice goalkeeper in the Midlands when fit, so Atubolu is likely to begin as a backup. This raises questions about his willingness to sit on the bench week in, week out.

For Villa, the signing adds competition and a potential successor, while Freiburg receive a substantial fee and have already secured Backhaus as their new club goalkeeper. Both sides stand to benefit from the deal.