By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
FC Barcelona have renewed their interest in Nigerian winger Ademola Lookman following Nico Williams’ decision to remain at Athletic Club, according to reports from SPORT.
Williams, who had been a top target for the Catalan giants and was believed to have reached personal terms with Barça, opted instead to sign a long-term extension with the Basque club — rejecting Barcelona for the second time.
The development has forced Barcelona’s hierarchy, including new head coach Hansi Flick, to shift focus to Lookman, who is seen as a strong alternative.
The Super Eagles forward has been on the radar of several top European clubs following a standout season with Atalanta, including his hat-trick heroics in the UEFA Europa League final.
Sources suggest Atalanta are willing to negotiate a deal below the €50 million mark, with Lookman’s current contract running until 2027 and no agreement yet on an extension.
However, the potential deal is not without complications. Lookman is represented by the same agency as Barça goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, and internal tensions involving the German shot-stopper could complicate negotiations with the player’s camp.
Barcelona’s current priority remains offloading fringe players and reducing their wage bill to comply with LaLiga’s financial regulations, but the club is expected to pursue Lookman more actively once their financial situation stabilizes.
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.
