Atalanta head coach Ivan Juric has expressed disappointment over the ongoing transfer standoff involving Nigeria forward Ademola Lookman, describing the situation as “sad”.
The 27-year-old has been absent from training for more than a week, with growing belief that he has played his final game for the Bergamo club.
Lookman has formally requested a move to Inter Milan, accusing Atalanta of going back on assurances about his future.
Inter have reportedly agreed personal terms with the player, but their latest €45m offer was turned down, with Atalanta insisting on a €50m valuation.
Speaking to L’Eco di Bergamo, Juric said:
“Ademola was very fair with me, he explained his thoughts. We just have to accept the situation. It’s sad that it got to this point.
I trained the team when he already had a calf injury, then this happened, so I never really got to work with him. At least it meant it didn’t influence the squad.”
The Croatian coach admitted replacing Lookman would be difficult, noting that the club had already lost other key attackers.
Ivan Juric. Photo Credit: Getty Images
“We lost players who provided 80-90 per cent of our goals and it won’t be easy to replace them. I don’t think anyone will arrive who can replicate the numbers provided by Retegui or Lookman, but we must reinforce with intelligence and widen our list of alternatives.”
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Lookman’s social media accounts have been stripped of all Atalanta references, signalling his determination to leave after weeks of stalled negotiations.
Club CEO Luca Percassi maintains that the final decision on the player’s departure will be made by Atalanta, while Inter weigh whether to increase their offer or explore other transfer targets.
Ademola Lookman Photo credit: Imago
Since joining from RB Leipzig in 2022, Lookman has become one of Atalanta’s most influential players.
He has twice been named the club’s Player of the Season, scored a historic hat-trick in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen, and became the first Atalanta player to win the CAF African Footballer of the Year award.
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Inter Milan remains his preferred destination. Reports in Italy suggest the Nerazzurri could submit a third bid imminently.
