Italian side Atalanta have reiterated that they are only willing to part ways with Ademola Lookman if they receive an offer that matches their valuation, with the transfer deadline drawing near.
The Super Eagles attacker has been at the center of transfer speculation, and tensions escalated after he stayed away from training for over a week. His absence came shortly after he issued a statement criticizing the club’s refusal of a €45m bid from Inter Milan.
Lookman’s choice to boycott team duties without approval is seen as an attempt to force a move. Still, the 2023/24 Europa League winners insist that he will not leave unless the right financial terms are met.
As reported by L’Eco di Bergamo, Atalanta are demanding €50m for the 27-year-old, but so far no potential buyer has come close to that asking price.
The publication noted that Inter Milan were the only side to submit a concrete proposal — a €45m deal including add-ons on July 29 — which Atalanta turned down.
It further explained that unless another club tables a better package, Lookman will remain at Gewiss Stadium despite making it clear he does not want to play for the team again. The forward, who trained in London last week, has now flown to Portugal while waiting for a breakthrough in negotiations.
Atalanta manager Ivan Juric has also shared his concern over possibly losing the Nigerian international. Juric highlighted the scale of the setback, pointing out that the club already lost their leading scorer Mateo Retegui to Saudi Arabia, a striker who partnered Lookman in delivering vital goals last season.
“We lost players who provided 80-90 per cent of our goals, and it won’t be easy to replace them,” said Juric.
