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Bundesliga
Eintracht Frankfurt have completed the €13 million signing of midfielder Noel Aseko from FC Bayern Munich on a deal until 2031, then hammered Gießen 7-1 in their first pre-season friendly with goals from Jonathan Burkardt, Malik Pimpong and more.
Eintracht Frankfurt are wasting no time building for a statement 2026-27 Bundesliga campaign. The Eagles have prised 20-year-old midfielder Noel Aseko away from FC Bayern Munich in a deal worth approximately €13 million, handing him a contract through 2031. And just hours after the ink dried, Frankfurt flexed their pre-season muscle with a ruthless 7-1 demolition of Oberliga Hessen side Gießen.
This is a club that knows exactly what it wants, and right now, Eintracht Frankfurt look like a team in a serious hurry.
Here is the uncomfortable truth about Noel Aseko's time at Bayern Munich: he never made a single first-team appearance. The Berlin-born central midfielder joined Bayern from Hertha BSC back in 2022 and earned his first professional contract in 2024, but the path to minutes at the Allianz Arena proved impossibly crowded.
So Aseko did the smart thing. He went out and proved himself. A loan spell at Hannover 96 in the 2. Bundesliga last season saw him rack up 34 competitive appearances and contribute to nine goals. According to Eintracht Frankfurt's own scouting data, Aseko ranked inside the top five across the entire second division in duels won, total distance covered, and top speed. Those are not vanity metrics. Those are the numbers of a player who does the ugly, relentless work that wins midfield battles.
At just 20, and as a current German U21 international, the ceiling here is significant. Markus Krösche, Frankfurt's board member for sport, has publicly backed Aseko's ability to make the step up to the Bundesliga. Aseko himself cited the quality of his conversations with the club's leadership as a key factor in choosing Frankfurt.
If anyone needed a reminder that Eintracht Frankfurt are in the mood for something big this season, the 7-1 victory over Gießen in their opening pre-season friendly was a loud one.
Jonathan Burkardt was the headline act, bagging two goals in the first half and looking every bit the sharp, hungry striker who could cause real problems in the Bundesliga this term. Younes Ebnoutalib, who actually played for Gießen during the 2024-25 season, opened the scoring against his former club in the 10th minute. Marvin Dills also got on the scoresheet as Frankfurt stormed to a 4-0 lead at the break.
The second half brought more of the same. Summer signing Malik Pimpong marked his debut with a goal, while Love Arrhov and Keita Kosugi piled on before Gießen grabbed a consolation at the death.
Yes, it was a lower-league friendly. Yes, reading too much into a 7-1 result against an Oberliga side is a fool's errand. But the intent, the sharpness, the willingness to be clinical: those things carry over. Frankfurt's squad depth looks formidable, and with Aseko now added to the engine room, Krösche's summer business is starting to look very deliberate.
Frankfurt have four more pre-season friendlies on the schedule before things get real. Their competitive campaign kicks off in the DFB-Pokal against SC St. Tönis, followed by a blockbuster opening-weekend Bundesliga clash against Union Berlin in the 2026-27 season.
That Union Berlin fixture will be the first real barometer of where this retooled Frankfurt squad stands. With Aseko in the fold, Burkardt firing early, and a squad brimming with energy, the Eagles have every reason to believe they can push further up the Bundesliga table this season.
For fans looking to follow the 2026-27 Bundesliga action and explore exciting betting opportunities on match outcomes and results, head over to Epicbet.
Jon
