Ademola Lookman: Why Super Eagles Star Did Not Join Bayern Munich
- Ademola Lookman had multiple options to leave Atalanta, one of which was Bayern Munich hit it did not happen
- German journalist Christian Falk has exposed why the Super Eagles forward was denied a move to the Bavarian giants
- Lookman eventually left Atalanta and moved to Atletico Madrid where he has had a bright start under Diego Simeone
Ademola Lookman had multiple options on the table during his attempt to leave Atalanta, one of which was Bayern Munich, but the move failed to materialise.
Lookman spent three-and-half seasons at Atalanta and became a club legend after scoring a hat-trick in the 2024 UEFA Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen.
Source: Getty Images
In the same summer, Lookman communicated his desire to leave the club, but Atalanta resisted as they were unwilling to lose their best player.
Paris Saint-Germain approached Atalanta in 2024 for Lookman and the club rejected their offer, despite a €5 million per season contract agreement with the player.
Inter Milan submitted an offer of €43 million for Lookman, but Atalanta rejected forcing the player to go on strike and releasing a statement confirming his intention to leave.
The Nigerian forward returned to the club after the 4-0 loss to PSG in the Champions League and was slowly reintegrated, but it didn't take long before another issue happened.
Former head coach Ivan Juric clashed with Lookman during Atalanta’s 1-0 win over Olympique Marseille in the Champions League. This and poor results led to that manager’s dismissal.
Raffaele Palladino took over and tried to build the relationship with Lookman, but it was too late. The player went to AFCON and departed the club shortly after returning from Morocco.
The 2024 African Footballer of the Year joined Atletico Madrid in a deal with €35 million, signing a four-and-half-a-year contract with Diego Simeone’s side.
The English-born star has scored five goals and provided five assists in his opening one month with Simeone, helping the club reach the Copa del Rey final.
Why Lookman didn't join Bayern
German journalist Christian Falk has revealed the details of Ademola Lookman’s potential move to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2025 which collapsed.
Bayern Munich wanted to sign a backup for Harry Kane and Lookman was their preferred option and had an agreement with the Super Eagles forward.
Source: Getty Images
However, Falk told Bayern Insider Podcast that the move collapsed after Atalanta demanded a fee of €50 million for a player the Germans only want on loan.
Bayern went for Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea for a loan worth €16.5 million with an option to make it permanent though the option is unlikely to be activated.
The deal nearly collapsed too after Chelsea recalled Jackson following a long-term injury, but the player insisted on moving to Germany.
Why Lookman's move to Galatasaray failed
Legit.ng reported that Italian agent George Gardi revealed why Lookman did not join Galatasaray despite the Turkish club’s efforts to sign him.
Gardi confirmed that he tried twice, but Atalanta's demands were to high as he wanted to do an initial loan with option to buy, like he did for Victor Osimhen.
Source: Legit.ng
