Atalanta have handed Inter Milan a huge boost in the latter’s pursuit of Ademola Lookman, Super Eagles attacker.
Inter received the boost on Wednesday courtesy of Luca Percassi, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Atalanta who spoke at a press conference to present new left-back signing, Honest Ahanor.
“Ademola Lookman has been expressing a desire to leave for some time and Inter Milan are a very friendly club,” Percassi said amid rumours linking the Nerazzurri with a move for the Nigerian forward.
Percassi also said Lookman is “a player who is expected to leave Atalanta this summer, in line with the club’s philosophy of one key sale per year”.
The Italian, however, confessed that “the transfer market brings surprises and you all know what happened with Retegui.”
Mateo Retegui joined Al Qadsiah, Saudi Pro League club early July in a deal worth a reported €65 million, meaning there is less pressure on La Dea to offer discounts for Lookman as Inter maintain a firm interest.
“For Lookman, despite a lot of interest, there had never been anything concrete, at least not until yesterday (Tuesday) when the first official offer arrived,” Percassi said about Inter’s move for Lookman.
“I saw Marotta yesterday at the Lega offices. We have a great relationship, both personally and professionally.
“In the coming days, we will calmly evaluate the offer we have received and then provide a response.
“All I can say is that the timing and value of Atalanta players leaving are decisions made solely by the club.”
Atalanta reportedly rejected Inter Milan’s latest bid reportedly worth €45 million for the Super Eagles attacker.
According to Football Italia, Inter offered €42m plus €3m in add-ons for Lookman but Atalanta turned it down as they want the full €50m asking price with a deadline looming.
“There was a long-awaited meeting on Tuesday morning between the two clubs to discuss the terms and see if they could reach an agreement,” Football Italia reported.
“A new written proposal was sent across, after the original €40m offer was rejected, and this one was worth €42m plus €3m in bonuses.
“As expected, this too was considered insufficient and therefore rejected. We have said from the start of this process that the asking price is €50m, but that Atalanta would be prepared to accept €45m plus €5m in add-ons.”
It remains to be seen if Inter will table an increased bid for Lookman or face other targets, however, as per Football Italia, the Nerazzurri are not prepared to drag this on beyond July 31, 2025, so that will be the deadline for significant progress.
Lookman bagged 20 goals and seven assists from 40 appearances across all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign.
He had reached a tally of 17 goals and 10 assists in 2023-24, a season that won him the African Player of the Year award.
