Sports
Its Official: Ademola Lookman joins Atlético Madrid from Atalanta
Lookman is known for his pace, dribbling ability and flexibility across both flanks.
Spanish La Liga giants Atlético de Madrid have completed the signing of Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman from Italian side Atalanta, with the player committing his future to the club until June 30, 2030.
The agreement, confirmed by the club on Monday, ends weeks of speculation surrounding the Super Eagles attacker’s future following his impressive performances in Italy.
Lookman, 28, is a versatile right-footed forward capable of operating as a second striker or across both wings. He is noted for his pace, dribbling ability and tactical intelligence, qualities that made him a standout figure during his time at Atalanta.
Born on October 20, 1997, in Wandsworth, London, Lookman is a naturalised Nigerian who began his football journey at Waterloo FC before rising through the youth ranks at Charlton Athletic. He made his senior debut for Charlton in November 2015 and went on to feature for Everton, RB Leipzig, Fulham and Leicester City before joining Atalanta in 2022.
At the Italian club, Lookman enjoyed a career-defining spell, re-establishing himself among Europe’s elite attackers. He played a pivotal role in Atalanta’s historic 2023/2024 UEFA Europa League triumph, scoring a sensational hat-trick in the final as the Italian side defeated Bayer Leverkusen 3–0 to secure their first-ever continental title.
During his two-year stay with the Bergamo-based club, Lookman featured in 137 matches, scoring 55 goals and registering 27 assists across all competitions.
At international level, Lookman represented England at youth level and was part of the squad that won the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He switched allegiance to Nigeria in 2022 and made his Super Eagles debut in March of that year. He has since earned 41 caps, scoring 11 goals for Nigeria.
The forward completed his medicals at the Vithas-Invictum High-Performance Sports Medicine Centre in Madrid before signing his contract at Atlético’s headquarters at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, where he was received by the club’s Chief Executive Officer, Miguel Ángel Gil.
Lookman is expected to add speed, creativity and goal threat to Diego Simeone’s attacking options as Atlético Madrid strengthen ahead of the new season.
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