By Wale Mustapha
Newly appointed Atalanta manager Ivan Juric has expressed his desire to retain Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman amid growing transfer interest from top European clubs.
Lookman, who enjoyed an outstanding 2024/25 season with the Bergamo-based side, has been linked with potential moves to Barcelona, Juventus, Napoli, and Arsenal following his standout performances.
Despite the speculation, Juric is eager to keep the 27-year-old winger at the club for at least another season.
“The idea would be to keep both Lookman and Ederson, even if the club has clear ideas on the market,” Juric told Calcio Napoli.
“I have not made any request on players, not even on those I have had.”
Lookman was instrumental in Atalanta’s success last season, scoring 22 goals and providing five assists in 46 appearances across all competitions. He has one year remaining on his current contract with La Dea.
While Atalanta may face pressure from suitors during the summer transfer window, Juric’s stance signals that the club is not eager to part ways with one of its most influential attackers.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
