A break with Gasperini, a historic hat trick, and a fate still in the balance. Lookman now looks ahead: Juve and Napoli tempt him, but the ways of the market can be unpredictable
Lookman fra Juve e Napoli: entrambe hanno la pedina per l’Atalanta (Foto: Ansa) – serieanews.com
Sometimes the best stories end without the need for drama. They are consumed in silence, with a final bow and applause that already tastes like goodbye. Other times, however, the ending comes as an unscripted twist, with words that weigh and glances that avoid the lens.
In Ademola Lookman’s case, the feeling is that there is a bit of both. An extraordinary cycle, the one lived with Atalanta, made of electric plays and heavy goals. A circle that seemed to close in beauty with that triple signature in the Europa League final, a cover story. But then? Then came the frost.
Bergamo twilight.
The twilight, in Bergamo, began well before the summer. It began with the disappointment in the championship, which Gasperini tried to downplay, but which was burning inside the locker room. Atalanta didn’t just dream of the Scudetto, they really thought they could grab it. Until that direct clash with Inter that put everything back in its place. And that place, today, is no longer the same for Lookman.
Then came the Champions League, and there something really broke down. The penalty episode-which was not his responsibility-was just the tip of the iceberg. The real earthquake came later, when Gasperini publicly attacked him. Harsh, stark words. And Lookman responded like a wounded man: official statement, glacial tone, and the feeling that from that moment he was already packing his suitcase.
Promises (broken) and doors closing again
The exit from Gewiss was already in the plans, actually. Already at the time of the purchase, Lookman and Atalanta had a gentleman’s agreement: in case of a fair offer, they would shake hands. And that offer, last summer, came: PSG, on the strength of a concrete estimate, was ready to invest about 35 million. But Dea said no. It had just given up Koopmeiners, and to give up Lookman as well would have been too much.
Today, however, the scenario has changed. In Paris there is a certain Kvaratskhelia, who has quickly made the Lookman idea forgotten. So the Nigerian is looking around: Premier League or Serie A? Judging by the air, the Italian hypothesis is far from remote. And there are two clubs thinking seriously about it.
Two suitors and a smart negotiation
Juventus and Napoli are in the window. Both esteem him, both are looking for a coup that will shift the balance. But 60 million – the figure Atalanta now considers “auction base” – is a lot. Too many, perhaps. Even for clubs accustomed to investing.
Yet, one way is there. For both the Bianconeri and the Azzurri have the right pawn in the squad to negotiate. Napoli, for example, has Giacomo Raspadori, who was already put on the plate in January as a partial quid pro quo. A name that Bergamo likes a lot: technical, young, and ready to relaunch.
Juve, for its part, can play the Nico González card, long pursued just before he chose Florence. Gasperini has never been indifferent to his talent. And such a profile, with his creative anarchy, could come in handy in a team that needs to renew its offensive outsides.
In either case, the idea would be to amortize the deal: lower the cash valuation to 25-30 million by including a welcome technical quid pro quo. A swap with a trade-off, in essence. Nothing revolutionary, but very concrete.
The Premier knot and the time crunch
The English unknown remains. Because in the Premier League, suitcases are always ready, and millions turn with a nonchalance that is dreamed of in Italy. Should a “clean” 60 offer arrive, Atalanta would not think twice. And Lookman, after all, already knows that environment.
For now, however, the Italian track is alive. And perhaps for once, Serie A can try to play it all the way. Not least because this time, for once, it holds the cards.
This article Lookman between Juve and Napoli: Both have the pawn for Atalanta appeared in its original version first on SerieANews.
