Akin Ayomide
Ademola Lookman’s turbulent summer transfer saga may be behind him, but his long-term future at Atalanta remains unclear despite his impressive return to the starting line-up.
The Nigerian forward’s current contract only runs to June 2027, and it is not clear how long he will remain in Bergamo, although the turbulence of the last few months appears to have been left behind.
Lookman tried to navigate his own exit from Bergamo this summer, which ultimately failed. Inter Milan pushed hard to sign the La Dea star, but a fee couldn’t be agreed upon.
This was followed by mutiny and escape, then he returned to Bergamo amid the club’s difficulty accepting a situation that wrecked the normal routine for at least a couple of months.
Atalanta showed patience to wait for the right moment to get him back in the starting XI, which happened in the goalless draw against Lazio at the weekend, where coach Ivan Juric praised his performance despite the lack of goals.
“Lookman? Today we put in a very high-level performance; in the second half, he lit up completely,” Juric said after the match, as quoted by Fcinter1908. “I also liked how he covered the flank in the final minutes, performing impeccable defensive work.”
The reigning African Footballer of the Year was visibly lacking match fitness in his first start under Juric, but his performances are gradually improving. He was unlucky not to score against Lazio, with the coach noting, “He was unlucky with the header that was miraculously saved by the goalkeeper, but his performance remains at a very high level.”
It will be very important for La Dea to get his goals back, particularly after another goalless draw in the Champions League clash against Slavia Prague. But inevitably, before the end of the year, they will also have to sit down and discuss the next step regarding his contract situation.
His contract is not a long one, but this time, everyone wants to come together and agree on the solution to avoid further storms on the horizon.
This is why his performances can help boost the profit margin, as Atalanta were never prepared to drop below a certain figure for the 28-year-old, who celebrated his 28th birthday on Monday.