By Monsurah Olatunji
Ademola Lookman’s time at Atalanta appears to be drawing to a close, with speculation mounting that Sunday’s Serie A clash against Parma could be his final outing for the club.
Italian reports suggest Atalanta is preparing to offload two key players—Lookman and Brazilian midfielder Ederson—in a strategic move to raise close to €100 million in the upcoming summer transfer window.
Since joining in 2022, Lookman has become a fan favorite at the Gewiss Stadium. This season alone, the Nigerian international has been instrumental for coach Gian Piero Gasperini, contributing an impressive 20 goals and seven assists in 39 appearances.
Despite his significant impact, the Super Eagles star now seems poised for a departure.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Atalanta is open to offers exceeding €40 million for Lookman, with multiple clubs reportedly interested. While no formal bids have been lodged yet, transfer activity is expected to intensify once the window opens.
Lookman’s potential exit gained traction following Atalanta’s Champions League exit in February and a heated exchange with Gasperini, though the two have since reconciled. The club appears ready to move forward, planning to reinvest the proceeds into squad improvements.
Lookman is expected to feature in Atalanta’s season finale against relegation-threatened Parma on Sunday, potentially marking the end of a highly productive chapter for the Nigerian winger in northern Italy.
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.
