Marseille bid for Super Eagles target rejected

Olympique Marseille have had their first offer for SC Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu rejected, Soccernet.ng reports.

Freiburg turned down the French club's opening bid because it was considered too low, according to German football magazine Kicker, as reported by BuliNews. Marseille are now expected to prepare an improved offer for the 24-year-old goalkeeper.

The decision does not mean Freiburg have closed the door on a transfer. The Bundesliga club are willing to sell Atubolu, but they want a fee in the region of €15m to €20m.

That price has created a clear test for Marseille. The French club must decide whether to increase its offer or risk losing a goalkeeper who is also attracting interest from clubs in England and Italy.

Marseille face competition from Bournemouth, Napoli and Juventus

Marseille are not alone in the race. AFC Bournemouth, Napoli and Juventus have all been linked with Atubolu. However, the latest report says none of those three clubs had made a formal bid to Freiburg at the time of the Marseille rejection. That gives Marseille a chance to move first with a second offer.

Napoli have already taken serious steps in the race. Earlier reports said Atubolu's representatives travelled to Italy for talks with Napoli and Juventus. Napoli see the goalkeeper as a possible long-term option as they build a squad for domestic and European competition.

Bournemouth provide another route into the Premier League. Atubolu has been linked with several English clubs during the summer, but the English market has not yet produced a deal with Freiburg.

The goalkeeper's contract situation also adds pressure to the negotiations. His Freiburg deal runs until June 2027. That leaves the German club with a choice to either sell now for a strong fee or keep him for another season and risk entering the final year of his contract.

A goalkeeper with strong Freiburg roots

Atubolu joined the club's academy in 2015 and moved through the youth teams from the Under-14 level. He later became the first-choice goalkeeper for Freiburg II and helped the team win promotion to the German third tier. Freiburg handed him first-team opportunities before he became their Bundesliga goalkeeper.

Born in Germany to a Nigerian father, Atubolu is eligible to represent the two football-loving nations. He has represented Germany at youth level and was included in Germany's senior squad last year but he is yet to make his international debut for the former world champions.

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle continues to monitor him, though, as the Malian tactician prepares Nigeria ahead of the 2030 World Cup qualification campaign.