By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Amid growing uncertainty over Ademola Lookman’s future at Atalanta, former Arsenal striker and English football pundit Ian Wright has expressed his desire to see the Nigerian international return to the Premier League.
The 26-year-old winger, who played a key role in Atalanta’s historic UEFA Europa League triumph last season, has reportedly submitted a transfer request as Inter Milan push to secure his signature this summer.
However, negotiations have hit a snag, with Atalanta rejecting Inter’s latest offer of €45 million, including add-ons, and valuing Lookman at €50 million.
Speaking to Mirror Football, Wright praised Lookman’s development in Italy and encouraged Premier League clubs—particularly Arsenal—to pursue him.
“I would love someone like him to come back to the Premier League and say, ‘listen, I have unfinished business here, so I’m going to help Arsenal win the league,’” Wright said.
“But I just admire his journey. He’s now rightly recognised as a top player—unbelievable.”
Lookman, who was named the 2023 CAF Player of the Year, spent earlier stints in England with Charlton Athletic, Everton, Fulham, and Leicester City before rejuvenating his career in Serie A.
With the transfer window closing soon, both Inter Milan and Atalanta remain locked in negotiations as they seek to reach a deal.
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.
