Ademola Lookman ultimately decided to leave Atalanta in February after a skirmish with Gian Piero Gasperini, but he had had such an idea in mind since last summer. La Dea won’t be able to convince him to stay again. On the other hand, the team will still look to cash in handsomely, Calciomercato informs.
Juventus inquired about the Nigerian star in January already before the friction became public. Director Cristiano Giuntoli had dinner with his counterparty Tony D’Amico. The contacts have continued in the last few weeks.
Juventus, Napoli, and the Premier League sides that want Lookman will have to empty their coffers despite his manifest desire to leave, as Atalanta ask for no less than €60M. They held onto him last summer because they didn’t want to lose both him and Teun Koopmeiners in one fell swoop. The Dutchman transferred for €55M plus €5M add-ons.
The Bianconeri will be in the mix again, but the Partenopei will have more firepower. Considering the Khvicha Kvaratskhelia windfall and the likely sale of Victor Osimhen, they’ll have a €160/180M budget in the summer.
Our Take on Atalanta and Lookman
The rumours have all gone in the same direction for almost a year. While they probably won’t keep an unhappy player, they technically don’t have to sell him since he’s under contract until 2027 through an option. Perhaps qualifying for the Champions League and a new manager could give him new motivations.
While it’s a big sum and Napoli might not get there out of principle, they shouldn’t think twice about it tactically speaking. They need another explosive offensive playmaker. Instead, Juventus should make a splash elsewhere since they already have pretty good speedsters.
