Inter decision on Lookman depends on Atalanta valuation | OneFootball

Ademola Lookman shows no signs of returning to Atalanta in the near future, but Inter’s decision on whether or not to increase their recently-rejected €45m bid for the Nigeria international depends on La Dea’s asking price, Wednesday’s reports detail.

Lookman is currently refusing to train with Atalanta after seeing a €45m bid from Inter turned down last week.

The 27-year-old has handed in a transfer request, and has recently released a long statement claiming that he had an agreement that Atalanta would let him leave if an appropriate offer came in for him this summer.

Ademola Lookman of Atalanta celebrates after scoring the his teams second goal during the Serie A match between Atalanta and AC Milan at Gewiss Stadium on December 06, 2024 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Giuseppe Cottini/Getty Images)

Atalanta CEO Luca Percassi has confirmed that there was in fact an agreement to let Lookman leave, but only for a top European club and importantly, one that is outside of Serie A.

The player himself, meanwhile, remains set on a move to join Cristian Chivu’s Nerazzurri, various outlets claim.

What needs to happen for Inter to submit a new Lookman offer?

According to Wednesday’s updates, it remains to be seen whether Inter will return with a new and improved offer for the reigning African Player of the Year.

As per Corriere dello Sport, Inter are waiting to hear back from Atalanta regarding a specific price tag for teams within Serie A, given their reluctance to sell to a direct competitor in the same league.

BERGAMO, ITALY – DECEMBER 06: Ademola Lookman of Atalanta celebrates after scoring the his team’s second goal during the Serie A match between Atalanta and AC Milan at Gewiss Stadium on December 06, 2024 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Giuseppe Cottini/Getty Images)

It has not yet been ruled out either way, whether Inter will return with a new bid or decide to walk away from the deal if Atalanta’s valuation is considered excessive.

Corriere dello Sport claims that Inter could be prepared to increase their bid to a €50m total fee, potentially including a young Nerazzurri talent to offset the cost. Despite the deteriorated relationship between Lookman and his current employers, the working relationship between Atalanta is still considered to be largely positive.