Atalanta CEO Confirms Two Conditions Ademola Lookman Must Meet To Leave Italian Club
- Atalanta CEO Luca Percassi has confirmed Ademola Lookman agreed to a two-condition agreement to leave the club
- Atalanta insists the Nigerian forward cannot join another Serie A club despite Inter Milan's interest
- The transfer saga has reached a boiling point after Lookman submitted a request and was left out of pre-season
Ademola Lookman appears to have no future at Atalanta after entering a tense phase following the Nigerian forward publicly demanding a move to Inter Milan by handing in a transfer request.
The 27-year-old reigning CAF Player of the Year winner has already agreed to personal terms on a five-year deal with the Nerazzurri, but Atalanta rejected Inter’s third bid of €45 million, including add-ons, sparking a bitter dispute.
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Lookman, who scored 52 goals and registered 25 assists in 118 appearances for Atalanta, took to Instagram to express his frustration.
According to Football Italia, the Super Eagles forward accused the Serie A side of breaking a verbal agreement to let him leave this summer, claiming he has been disrespected as a human being and as a professional footballer.
Percassi names two conditions for Lookman to leave
Atalanta CEO Luca Percassi has responded fiercely to Lookman’s statements with a firm clarification.
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Percassi disclosed that a “gentleman’s agreement” had indeed been made last season, but under two strict conditions.
According to the Atalanta CEO, the club agreed to let Lookman leave in the summer of 2025 only if he moved to a “super-top European club,” and would not join any other Serie A team besides Atalanta.
According to GOAL, the first condition was to ensure the club benefited from a high-profile transfer, while the second protected Atalanta from directly strengthening domestic rivals.
Percassi reminded fans that Lookman had previously been the subject of a €20 million bid from Paris Saint-Germain last year, which the club rejected under the promise that he would stay one more season.
However, his current desire to move to Inter Milan directly violates the second clause of their agreement.
“Last year, we promised ourselves that in Italy he would never be seen wearing another jersey other than Atalanta’s,” Percassi said.
“Today’s situation is different, but the club will always decide the timing and value of any exit.”
Lookman’s relationship with Lookman hits rock bottom
Lookman’s insistence on a move to Inter Milan has strained his relationship with Atalanta to breaking point.
The Super Eagles star has removed all Atalanta references from his social media profiles and submitted an official transfer request.
Lookman has also been excluded from Atalanta’s pre-season squad as tensions escalate.
With Inter Milan still short of Atalanta’s €50 million valuation and the player unwilling to consider other admirers like Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, or Napoli, the transfer saga appears set to drag on.
Clubs Lookman can join
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Spanish giants Atletico Madrid have expressed interest in signing Lookman during this window. Los Rojiblancos are the most concrete destination for the attacker after Atalanta made it clear he would not join another Italian club.
Arsenal also showed interest in the Super Eagles star last month as one of their options for their left wing. The Gunners also considered Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze, and Mikel Arteta reportedly favours the England international.
Source: Legit.ng
