Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, have been handed a significant boost in the race to sign Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman this summer.
The 27-year-old began his senior career at Charlton Athletic before he joined Everton in January 2017. After a loan spell in the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig, he completed a permanent move to the Bundesliga in 2019, but once again failed to nail down a regular starting place.
After further loan spells back in England with Fulham and Leicester City, Serie A side Atalanta signed the Nigeria international in the summer of 2022 and he has since established himself as a central figure. Lookman has scored 49 goals across all competitions for the Italian club, and his hat-trick in the Europa League final last season certainly caught the attention of Europe’s top clubs.
According to The Mirror, the Gunners, along with Liverpool, enquired about Lookman’s availability last summer but opted against following up on their interest. Paris Saint-Germain appeared the likeliest destination, but after failing to agree a fee with Atalanta, the Ligue 1 club moved on to other targets and signed Khvicha Kvaratskhelia from Napoli in the January transfer window.
Question marks over Lookman’s future have resurfaced in recent weeks following Atalanta’s elimination from the Champions League last month. They were beaten by Club Brugge over two legs in the play-off round and manager Gian Piero Gasperini labelled Lookman as the worst penalty taker he has ever seen after he missed from the spot in the second leg.
The article from The Mirror indicates Juventus have emerged as a potential contender, but Atalanta’s preference to sell to an overseas club hands the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool a significant boost if they are to revisit their interest in the summer transfer window. However, it is worth noting that the Italian club are rumoured to have set an asking price in the region of £50 million, which could prove to be a significant stumbling block given Lookman will turn 28 next season.
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