By Wale Mustapha
Italian football legend Christian Vieri has thrown his weight behind Inter Milan’s efforts to sign Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman from Atalanta, describing the Super Eagles star as a game-changer.
Inter are reportedly in advanced negotiations with Atalanta over a potential deal for the reigning African Footballer of the Year.
The Nerazzurri are prepared to offer around €40 million for the dynamic winger, although Atalanta are holding out for a higher fee.
Lookman, who has previously expressed his desire to join the Milan giants, is seen as a key target by manager Christian Chivu as the club looks to bolster its attacking options ahead of the new season.
Vieri, who enjoyed a successful spell at Inter during his playing days, endorsed the move in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport:
“Lookman has the experience. It’s a different story — he’s someone who makes the difference, he changes matches,” Vieri said.
“Someone like Lookman should always be signed, if possible.”
Currently regarded as one of the top performers in Serie A, Lookman has impressed with his consistency, versatility, and flair.
His standout moment came in Atalanta’s historic UEFA Europa League triumph two seasons ago, where he scored a stunning hat-trick in the final against Bayer Leverkusen.
As talks between the two Italian clubs continue, Lookman’s potential move to the San Siro could be one of the standout transfers of the summer.
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.
