Merle Frohms: From number 1 at VfL to moving to Real Madrid!

Merle Frohms: From number 1 at VfL to moving to Real Madrid!

The football world is looking at one of the most exciting transfers of recent times: Merle Frohms, who until recently was the undisputed number 1 in goal at VfL Wolfsburg, is moving to Real Madrid. [waz-online] reports that Frohms, who played for Wolves from 2012 to 2018 and again from 2022 to 2025, recently signed a contract until 2028 with the Spanish top club.

However, Frohms' existence as a regular employee is a long-gone story, as she herself admits. At the beginning of the year, coach Tommy Stroot surprisingly replaced her with Anneke Borbe, who was given preference thanks to her height when it came to crosses. This decision was difficult for the goalkeeper. "I found the decision and its timing difficult to understand. I felt left in the dark," she said about her situation. What was particularly bitter was that she was demoted to number 2 by Lisa Fehling after an infection.

The departure from Wolksburg and the future in Madrid

Frohms' departure was announced months ago, as her contract with VfL expired on June 30, 2025. While interest in her increased and a free transfer to Madrid was on the cards, the club was already looking for a successor and promptly signed Stina Johannes from Eintracht Frankfurt. The goalkeeper is seen as a great hope for supporting the squad, especially since she is also part of the DFB team for the upcoming European Championships.

However, VfL does not only depend on Johannes. At the same time, goalkeepers Martina Tufekovic from 1899 Hoffenheim and Christina Schönwetter from First Vienna FC were also signed. It is interesting that Anneke Borbe has indicated that she will leave the club when her contract expires. Rumors suggest she is considering a move to Champions League winners Arsenal.

Titles and achievements

It's impressive what Merle Frohms has achieved during her time at VfL. In total she can look back on 13 titles, including:

• 2x Champions League
• 4x deutsche Meisterschaft
• 7x DFB-Pokal

In the DFB jersey, she was able to celebrate silver in the European Championship in 2022 and bronze in the Olympics in 2024, but she ended her selection career just a few months after the Olympic Games.

Now the focus is entirely on Real Madrid, where she will fight for the place between the posts with Misa Rodríguez. It remains to be seen whether Frohms can accept this challenge and hold its own in an international comparison. The move represents a new beginning not only for Frohms, but also for VfL Wolfsburg, which will have to reposition itself in the coming season.