Ademola Lookman: Agent Discloses Why Winger’s Proposed Move to Galatasaray Failed
- Italian football agent George Gardi has explained why Ademola Lookman's proposed move to Galatasaray failed
- Gardi brokered Victor Osimhen’s deal to Galatasaray and attempted to do the same with his compatriot
- The winger turned down Fenerbahce in January 2026 before joining Spanish La Liga giants Atletico Madrid
Italian football agent George Gardi has opened up on why Ademola Lookman’s proposed move to Galatasaray in the summer of 2024 failed to materialise.
Lookman expressed his desire to leave Atalanta in the summer of 2024 after scoring a hat-trick to help the club win the UEFA Europa League.
Source: Getty Images
Atalanta rejected Paris Saint-Germain’s offer, and after the deadline, Galatasaray attempted to swoop for him to link up with his compatriot Victor Osimhen.
George Gardi, the agent who brokered Osimhen’s move to Galatasaray, attempted to seal the deal but was unsuccessful, and Lookman stayed at Atalanta.
The Super Eagles winger made other attempts to leave Bergamo, but the club blocked them before joining Atletico Madrid in the winter window of 2026.
Why Lookman to Atalanta failed
Gardi has opened up about the details of Lookman’s proposed move to Galatasaray, which failed to happen, disclosing that Atalanta’s demands were beyond control.
The Italian moved Osimhen to Galatasaray through an initial loan, before the deal was made permanent a year later, but Atalanta refused a similar arrangement for Lookman.
“Especially with top-level players, sometimes transfers don’t fall through. There are endless variables,” Gardi told Tuttosport as per Haber Sari Kirmizi.
“Last summer, after his [Ademola Lookman’s] deal with Inter fell through, I tried for Lookman; I wanted to emulate the Osimhen operation.
“A loan with a purchase option. But his club didn’t want to let him go. I tried again in January, but this time the demands from the Bergamo club were too high.”
Osimhen confirmed that he attempted to lure his colleague to Turkey, and he spoke to him and Raphael Onyedika during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Source: Getty Images
Lookman rejected Fenerbahce’s lucrative offer in January and opted to sign for Atletico so as to play in the Champions League in a top European league.
A return to the Premier League, where he had previously played for Everton and Fulham, with Tottenham interested, was mooted, but Lookman rejected it.
He opted to link up with Diego Simeone at the Metropolitano instead and has hit the ground running in Madrid, scoring seven goals and assists in as many matches, as noted by Transfermarkt.
One of his goals came during the 4-0 win over Barcelona in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final, which helped Atletico have one leg in the final.
He has fitted seamlessly at the club, and Diego Simeone acknowledged him as a different player from those who were at the club before he arrived.
Why Man Utd didn't sign Osimhen
Legit.ng reported that Benni McCarthy explained why Manchester United declined the chance to sign Victor Osimhen in the summer of 2023.
The South African football legend claimed that the Red Devils passed because Osimhen's involvement at the Africa Cup of Nations was a deterrent.
Source: Legit.ng
