Inter and Atletico battle for Lookman’s signature

Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid are reportedly in a battle to secure the signature of Atalanta winger Ademola Lookman.

According to reports in Italy,  Inter already have an informal agreement with Nigerian international, but the Nerazzurri must first satisfy Atalanta’s demands for the 27-year-old before a deal can proceed. 

Corriere dello Sport also reported on Wednesday morning that Lookman is a top priority for Inter as they look to rebuild their attack following the departures of Joaquin Correa and Marko Arnautovic at the end of the 2024-25 season. 

Atalanta want a fee in the region of €50m for the reigning African Player of the Year, but reports suggest that the Nerazzurri are hoping to strike a deal for a sum in the region of €40m instead. 

Sky Sport Italia also reported that Inter have already reached an agreement with Lookman on personal terms, but that is redundant if the club are unable to come to an agreement with Atalanta over a transfer fee. 

Sky further reported that the club are willing to invest €40m up front, which does not require any other first-team players to be sold beforehand. 

Should the deal fall through, Inter have reportedly lined up Christopher Nkunku of Chelsea, Juventus’s Nico Gonzalez, and Manchester United’s Jadon Sancho as alternative attacking options.

 Meanwhile, Atletico are also monitoring the situation as they remain interested in Atalanta star.

They have also held talks with the Nigerian forward in recent days.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the La Liga giants have been busy in negotiations to sign Thiago Almada, while they also continued talks for the Atalanta striker.

Lookman joined La Dea in 2022, scoring 52 goals in 118 matches across all competitions.

It’s now left to see if the Bergamo-based club will reach an agreement with Inter to sell him to Atletico, who won’t be a direct rival to them in the Serie A. This is expected to be decided in a few days.