Atalanta Fans Send Strong Message to Ademola Lookman After Returning to Ivan Juric’s Squad
- Atalanta fans have sent a strong message to Ademola Lookman after his reintegration into the squad
- Lookman pushed for a move during the summer transfer window but Atalanta blocked his departure
- Both parties held a meeting and clarified the situation after the 4-0 UCL loss to Paris Saint-Germain
Atalanta fans have sent a strong message to Ademola Lookman after the club confirmed that the Super Eagles star has been reintegrated into the squad.
Lookman has not featured for Atalanta this season after failing to secure a permanent departure from the club during the summer transfer window.
Source: Getty Images
Inter Milan submitted multiple bids worth up to €45 million, including add-ons, but the Bergamo-based club turned down the offers and kept their player.
The Nigerian star published a statement on social media, confirming that he had submitted a transfer request after the club rejected what he considered a fair offer.
The reigning African Footballer of the Year went on strike afterwards, but the 2024 Europa League winner took their stance that the player is not for sale.
Atalanta CEO responded to Lookman's statement, claiming that Atalanta had an agreement to sell the player, but will not sell to another Italian club.
The winger rejected Atalanta's attempt to sell him to the Premier League, while the club also blocked Bayern Munich’s offer to sign him on loan.
Lookman returns to Atalanta squad
The Nigerian refused to report for training for about two weeks, and despite the club's threat of sanctions, he did not return to Bergamo.
However, he returned to Italy before the September international break, where he started both matches for Nigeria against Rwanda and South Africa.
He rejoined the team training, but was left out of the matchday squad, including for the UEFA Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain.
The European champions hammered Atalanta 4-0, after which reports in Italy confirmed that Atalanta held a meeting with Lookman to be reintegrated into the team.
According to Football Italia, head coach Ivan Juric confirmed that Lookman will be involved in the matchday squad for the Serie A match against Torino.
“He’s spoken with me, the team and my staff. He was well received and from tomorrow, he will begin to be available to us,” Juric said during his pre-match press conference on Saturday.
“He’s not in the best condition, given that he’s been training alone up until now. He did very well in training on Friday.”
Source: Getty Images
Atalanta fans send message to Lookman
Atalanta fans fell out of love with the winger over the summer due to his attitude over his proposed departure, and did not hide their displeasure at the news that he is returning to the team.
As spotted by journalist Alessandro Giovanni Paglirini, the fans unveiled a banner in Bergamo with a strong message to the Nigerian winger.
“11 Reinstated… But for us you remain ungrateful,” the banner reads.
According to Sempre Inter, The ‘Old Guard’ group of Atalanta fans took responsibility for unveiling the banner.
Atalanta end dispute with Lookman
Legit.ng reported that Atalanta and Lookman called truce on their dispute after their 4-0 loss to PSG in the first match of the Champions League group stage.
Nigerians who have supported their players against the club believed that the Italian club had no choice than to recall their best player after the heavy loss.
Source: Legit.ng
