Atalanta have no plans to sell Ademola Lookman in the near future after reintegrating the Nigeria international into their squad following his failed summer transfer saga.
The Serie A club consider the case closed and are plotting to keep the attacker for the entire season rather than selling him in January, according to Italian publication, CultofCalcio.
Lookman made his short seasonal debut as an 87th-minute substitute against Torino on Sunday, ending a saga that had started at the beginning of the summer when he pushed for a move to Inter Milan.
The 27-year-old will now be fully at coach Ivan Juric’s disposal, though he will need time to reach peak fitness after training separately for a couple of months.
According to Italian journalist Matteo Moretto, it could be a while before Lookman is fit enough to start matches, with Atalanta’s other attacking options, including Kamaldeen Sulemana, having already gotten going in his absence.
Lookman has been in limbo ever since Inter Milan decided to pull out of the race because they considered his price tag too high. Atletico Madrid showed interest but never tabled an official offer.
A couple of Turkish sides lodged bids after deadline day in the rest of Europe, but the deals they proposed did not convince Atalanta.
Owner Stephen Pagliuca was reportedly in Bergamo last week and might have helped smooth things over, though a new contract does not appear to be in the cards.
Juric revealed after the Torino match that Lookman had spoken directly to him and his teammates about the summer standoff, suggesting that the player’s advisers had played a damaging role in the situation.
“He spoke to me and the team on Monday. He was surrounded by people who had given him some bad advice,” Juric said.
“He has a great winning mentality, and now we need to get him back in shape physically.”
The row between player and club had escalated when Lookman accused Atalanta’s management of unfair treatment in a post on social media before leaving for the United Kingdom to continue training on his own.
With no transfer materialising and the new season approaching, he made a dramatic U-turn, returning to training just five days before the Serie A campaign began.
Lookman’s return could prove important with fellow forwards Charles De Ketelaere and Gianluca Scamacca struggling with injuries.
The former Leicester City winger, who hit a hat-trick in the 2023/24 Europa League final and scored 20 goals last season, could have a crucial role as Atalanta face Juventus and Club Brugge in upcoming fixtures.
Credit: punchng.com
