Atalanta: Ademola Lookman wants to push the club to the limit | OneFootball

The Nigerian striker skipped training after officially requesting a transfer to Inter Milan.

Ademola Lookman

Ademola Lookman is escalating his standoff with Atalanta. The Nigerian forward boycotted the team training session this Monday, August 5, in Zingonia without any medical justification. This absence comes in the wake of his official transfer request submitted over the weekend, after Inter Milan's offer was rejected.

The African Ballon d'Or winner is taking a hardline stance against the Bergamo club's management, who are refusing to let him leave. After posting a lengthy statement on his social media to formalize his transfer request, Ademola Lookman took things up a notch by refusing to show up for the resumption of training.

Ademola stands firm as Atalanta digs in

The conflict between Lookman and Atalanta stems from Inter Milan's strong interest in acquiring his services. After their initial proposal was rejected, the Nerazzurri came back with a second offer of €42 million plus €3 million in bonuses. This was also turned down by La Dea. Yet, this second bid is edging closer to Atalanta's financial demands, which are reportedly between €45 and €50 million to let their star go.

While the Bergamo club remains opposed to his departure, the Nigerian international has reportedly already reached a personal agreement with Inter Milan, according to several Italian sources. Inter were hoping that Lookman's public transfer request would force Atalanta's hand and smooth the path for negotiations. This strategy appears to be paying off given the current tension, but the deal is far from done.

Luca Percassi, Atalanta's CEO, clarified the club's stance during Marco Sportiello's presentation. He recalled that an agreement was reached with Lookman last year regarding a transfer offer.

"This is a good opportunity to clarify what happened. Last year, when PSG made a €20 million offer, the player asked us to sell him. Atalanta, being a respectable and respected club with strong values, promised to sell the player during this transfer window under two conditions that he himself set: first, that he would join a top European club and, second, that in Italy, he would never be seen wearing any shirt other than Atalanta's, both for what he has done and what he has received from the club. Today, the situation you know is very different. In any case, the club always carefully evaluates the status and value of its players, but as always, it is Atalanta who will make the final decision."

That condition now appears to be a sticking point with Inter Milan's interest. Percassi insists that the club will have the final say on their player's future, regardless of the mounting pressure from the striker and his camp.