The likelihood of Ademola Lookman playing for Juventus or Napoli next season is slim, as Atalanta prefers to sell the Super Eagles striker overseas.
Lookman, who scored a hat-trick in last season’s Europa League final, is expected to seek a new challenge at the end of the season. This comes after Atalanta’s head coach, Gian Piero Gasperini, recently described Lookman as one of the “worst penalty takers” he has “ever seen,” following his missed penalty in the surprising 3-1 Champions League playoff defeat to Club Brugge.
Lookman nearly left the Italian club last summer after reaching a verbal agreement on personal terms with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). However, the French club failed to finalize a deal and has since lost interest after signing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia from Napoli in January.
Juventus has shown interest in Lookman, but Atalanta is hesitant to strengthen a direct rival. The sale of popular midfielder Teun Koopmeiners to Juventus last summer was painful for them, and they are currently competing with the Old Lady for a Champions League qualification spot.
Arsenal and Liverpool made tentative inquiries about Lookman last summer but did not follow up on their interest. It remains uncertain whether they will reconsider him as an option.
Lookman’s availability has alerted several top-flight clubs, and reports in Italy suggest he could be priced upwards of £50 million. However, with the attacker turning 28 later this year, there are concerns within the industry about whether any European club would be willing to meet that asking price.