By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Atalanta CEO Luca Percassi says the club remains open to reconciling with Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman, stressing that the player will be welcomed back once he is fully committed.
Lookman’s future in Bergamo has been clouded by controversy following his failed move to Inter Milan during the summer transfer window.
After the deal collapsed, the 26-year-old was absent from training for two weeks, heightening tensions between him and the club.
Although he eventually rejoined the squad, concerns over his attitude have kept him out of matchday selection despite being registered for the season.
“You cannot go back and change the past, so we will focus on the present and future,” Percassi said.
“We all know how good Ademola is, but to play for Atalanta you must be 100 percent focused. When he feels ready to do that, we are waiting for him with open arms.”
The saga has raised debate over whether Atalanta should have offloaded the winger, even at a reduced fee.
Still, Percassi’s comments indicate the club is hopeful of reintegrating him as head coach Ivan Jurić battles to steady the team after a poor start to the campaign.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey 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.
