Atalanta CEO Luca Percassi has spoken out about the situation involving Nigeria international Ademola Lookman and his desire to leave the club, Afrosport reports.
The 27-year-old forward revealed on Sunday that he has submitted a transfer request as he continues to push for a move away from the Bergamo-based club.
Lookman claimed he had a gentleman’s agreement with the club that would allow him to leave if a suitable offer came in — but insists Atalanta are “blocking the opportunity for reasons I do not understand.”
The Serie A outfit have reportedly turned down two bids from Inter Milan for the former RB Leipzig man, the latest of which was believed to be worth around €45 million.
Speaking on Monday, Percassi addressed Lookman’s comments, confirming that the Nigerian forward is indeed allowed to leave this summer — but only to a club outside of Italy.
The Atalanta chief also revealed that Lookman had made a similar request last season, when French champions Paris Saint-Germain submitted an offer. At the time, the club agreed to facilitate a move, but only under certain conditions.
“Last year, there was a €20 million offer from Paris Saint-Germain, and the player asked to be sold,” Percassi told reporters. “We decided to grant him this transfer window, but there were two conditions: the offer had to come from a major European club, and he wouldn’t wear a shirt other than Atalanta in Italy.”
He acknowledged that while the nature of transfers has evolved in recent times, the club will still act in its own best interests.
“Today, the situation is different, but we will always be careful to evaluate both the waiting time and the exit valuation of our players. The final say on the deal rests with Atalanta.”
Lookman joined Atalanta from Leipzig in August 2020 and has since scored 52 goals and registered 25 assists in 118 appearances for the Italian outfit.
The reigning African Player of the Year played a key role in helping the club win their first European title, scoring a historic hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final in May 2024.
