August 04, (THEWILL) — Atalanta Chief Executive, Luca Percassi, has confirmed that Nigerian international, Ademola Lookman, will be permitted to depart the club during the summer transfer window, but only to a destination outside Serie A. The 27-year-old forward, who joined the Bergamo-based club in 2022, has submitted a transfer request after an offer from Inter Milan was rejected, leading to tensions between the player and the club hierarchy.
Percassi outlined the conditions under which Lookman would be allowed to leave, stating that the player had personally requested two specific stipulations: “Atalanta, being a credible club, had promised to sell the player this window based on two conditions that he himself had asked of us: first, to go to a super, top European club, and that he would never be seen in Italy wearing a shirt other than Atalanta’s, given what he did for the club and what he received from the club,” Percassi explained, emphasising that the final decision rests with the club.
Lookman has enjoyed considerable success during his time with Atalanta, scoring 52 goals in 117 appearances for the Italian side. His most notable achievement came in the 2024 Europa League final in Dublin, where he scored his first career hat-trick to help Atalanta defeat Bayer Leverkusen and claim their maiden European trophy, ending the German club’s unbeaten run. The Nigerian forward was also recognised as the African Player of the Year at the end of last year.
The relationship between Lookman and Atalanta became strained following Inter Milan’s failed bid to acquire the player. Lookman released a statement accusing the club of treating him poorly “as a human being and professional footballer”, suggesting that an agreement had been in place for him to seek a new challenge ahead of the 2025/2026 season. The forward believes he has fulfilled his obligations to the club and deserves the opportunity to continue his career elsewhere.
Now, Atalanta appear determined to honour its commitment to allow Lookman’s departure, but only under the specified conditions. The club will reportedly only consider offers from highly regarded European clubs with strong continental standing, maintaining their position that the player will not join another Italian team. The situation remains unresolved as potential suitors from outside Italy evaluate whether to meet Atalanta’s valuation and satisfy the conditions set by both the club and the player.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
