By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
The ongoing transfer saga involving Nigerian winger Ademola Lookman and Italian Serie A club Atalanta has reportedly attracted the direct involvement of African football legend Didier Drogba, who is leading a Confederation of African’s intervention to facilitate Lookman’s potential move to Inter Milan.
Negotiations between Atalanta and Inter Milan have reached an impasse after the Bergamo club rejected Inter’s €45 million offer for the 27-year-old forward.
Despite this, Inter remains determined to secure the signing and has maintained its pursuit of Lookman.
Lookman himself has expressed a strong desire to leave Atalanta, submitting a formal transfer request and being absent from several training sessions as a demonstration of his intent to move on.
According to reports from African Hub, Drogba has traveled to Italy to personally submit a detailed 50-page petition to Atalanta’s management.
The petition calls for a “fair and transparent” transfer process and raises concerns over how the player’s situation has been handled by the club.
Drogba’s involvement highlights a growing effort by CAF to ensure fair treatment of African players in European football transfers.
Sources indicate that further developments in the Lookman transfer saga are expected as the summer transfer window progresses.
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.
