By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Atalanta have identified Norwich City winger Jonathan Rowe as a potential replacement for Ademola Lookman, with the Nigerian forward reportedly closing in on a move to Inter Milan.
The 2023 UEFA Europa League winners are said to be preparing for life after Lookman, who is at the center of advanced negotiations with Inter.
The Serie A giants have tabled an offer worth €45 million for the 27-year-old, which could be enough to seal the deal in the coming days.
While Atalanta have yet to formally respond to Inter’s bid, sources close to the club indicate that an agreement is nearing, with the Bergamo side already lining up alternatives to fill the void left by Lookman’s expected departure.
Rowe, 21, emerged as a standout performer for Norwich last season, and his profile is believed to align with Atalanta’s recruitment strategy. Though no formal bid has been submitted, the English winger is high on the club’s shortlist.
Inter Milan remain hopeful of concluding the transfer swiftly, and Atalanta’s accelerated search for a replacement suggests they are increasingly resigned to losing one of their most influential attacking players.
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.
