“It’s Sad That It Got to This Point”: Atalanta Coach Breaks Silence on Ademola Lookman Transfer Row
- Atalanta FC have rejected the third bid of Inter Milan €45m, as the club is demanding €50m for the Super Eagles winger
- Coach Ivan Juric said it will be difficult for the club to get a player like Ademola Lookman if they lose him
- The former Everton star has stripped off all Atalanta references on his social media pages
Ademola Lookman suffered criticism in the hands of former manager Gian Piero Gasperini after missing a penalty against Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League last February.
The former Serie A champions crashed out of the competition in the first round with the coach labelling the Nigerian forward as 'one of the worst penalty-takers'.
Source: Getty Images
The 2023 AFCON silver medallist expressed his displeasure at the statement of Gasperini, highlighting some of his achievements with the clubs, including his hat-trick in the UEFA Europa League final against Bayern Leverkusen.
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Atalanta coach speaks on Lookman
New Atalanta coach Ivan Juric said it is unfortunate that one of the best players has to pass through such an encounter during the transfer window.
According to Soccernet, Juric explained that the current transfer standoff between Atalanta and Lookman is sad, and the situation has deteriorated to this point.
The Croatian said the Bergamo club has lost players who contributed high ratios of goals and cannot be easily replaced. He said:
"Nigeria forward Ademola Lookman was fair with me, explaining his thoughts.
"Whether we like it or not, we have to accept the situation. It is very sad that it got to this point.
"I trained the team when he already had a calf injury, then this happened, so I never really got to work with him. At least it meant that it didn’t influence the squad.
“The team has lost crucial players who provided 80% to 90% of our goals and it won’t be easy to replace them.
I don’t think anyone will arrive who can replicate the numbers provided by Retegui or Lookman, but we must reinforce with intelligence and widen our list of alternatives,” according to Gianluca Di Marzio.
In an emotional public statement, Lookman addressed his situation head-on, expressing his disappointment with Atalanta’s refusal to let him go.
Reigning CAF Player of the Year thanked the club’s fans for their support over the past three years and recalled memorable moments, particularly the historic UEFA Europa League triumph in Dublin.
Source: Getty Images
Ademola deserves better treatment - Pablo
Nigeria sports journalist Sean Pablo said the 2023 AFCON silver medallist deserves respect and better treatment from his club.
In an exclusive comment with Legit.ng, Pablo said the Super Eagles are one of the highly-rated players in the world. He said:
"No one can take it away from Ademola Lookman; he has paid his dues in full in the Italian Serie A. The Atalanta forward should be treated with respect because he has earned it."
Inter Milan issues final warning to Lookman
Legit.ng earlier reported that Inter Milan’s ambition to secure Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman has entered a crucial stage, with the club running out of patience in negotiations with Atalanta.
The dethroned Serie A champions have already seen three bids rejected by their league rivals, who are holding out for €50 million for the 2024 CAF Player of the Year.
Source: Legit.ng
