Charlton Athletic hit the jackpot with academy star - He made the Addicks millions | OneFootball

Ademola Lookman was a star for Charlton Athletic.

Ademola Lookman has become a European star in recent seasons, but his story began at the Valley for Charlton Athletic.

The Addicks have always boasted a successful academy.

Based in London, they sit on the doorstep of a rich pool of footballing talent, and over the years they've made the most of their prime location.

In recent times, we've seen the emergence of players like Ezri Konsa, Nick Pope, and Joe Gomez, while older fans will fondly recall the breakthroughs of Scott Parker, Lee Bowyer, and Paul Konchesky at The Valley.

However, Ademola Lookman might just be the most successful of the lot.

His journey to the top has been nothing short of remarkable. From periods of uncertainty in the Premier League to difficult loan spells at RB Leipzig, there were moments early in his career when it seemed he might not fulfil his potential. But since signing for Atalanta BC in 2022, he’s truly found his feet and is now regarded as one of Serie A’s standout players.

Ademola Lookman's Charlton Athletic spell

Lookman’s rise to prominence at Charlton is quite an unusual tale by modern football standards, with the forward having been picked up by the Addicks from local youth side Waterloo at the age of 14.

He quickly established himself in the youth ranks and was handed his first-team debut in late 2015 as an 18-year-old, featuring against Milton Keynes Dons. Just four games later, he opened his account with a goal in a 3–2 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion.

Despite Charlton's relegation that season, Lookman continued to impress, finishing the campaign with five goals in 24 Championship appearances.

Dropping down to League One, he was given a regular starting berth and, in a more confident side, continued to shine - scoring seven goals and providing two assists in the opening 25 games of the 2016–17 season.

Reflecting on his time at Charlton in a 2021 interview with The Guardian, Lookman spoke warmly about his experience at The Valley:

"Those were happy years for me at Charlton," he said. "Nothing but progress from the under-18s to the under-23s to the first team."

Charlton Athletic cash in on Ademola Lookman

Lookman may have made just 49 senior appearances for Charlton by January 2017, but that didn’t stop interest from elsewhere. Everton were the most eager suitors, signing him for an initial £7.5 million - a fee that could have rose to £11 million with add-ons.

For the Addicks, it was an ideal financial package, but Lookman couldn't transfer his form for Charlton to Goodison Park. During his two-and-a-half seasons at Everton, he scored just four goals in 48 appearances and spent time away on loan at RB Leipzig - the German side eventually signing him on a permanent deal in 2019.

Once again, though, it turned out to be an unsuccessful deal with loans at Fulham and Leicester City plaguing his time in Germany.

At this point, Addicks supporters would have been wondering if he would ever live up to his potential, but his €15 million move to Atalanta in 2022 changed everything. Under the stewardship of boss Gian Piero Gasperini, Lookman scored 13 goals in his first season as well as providing six assists in 31 league appearances.

However, it was his second campaign in Italy where his talents came to the fore. After another strong season of contributions, Atalanta would close the campaign off with a fixture against Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League Final. La Dea arrived as big underdogs with Xabi Alonso's side unbeaten in all competitions to that point. Yet, that didn't deter Lookman, who took control of the game by himself, netting a hat-trick to secure the Europa League with a 3-0 win.

Following that monumental night in Dublin, Lookman's consistency has continued in 2024-25, but looking back none of this would have been possible had Charlton not taken a shot on the 14-year-old in 2011.