Nigerian international Ademola Lookman will miss Atalanta’s opening game of the 2024/25 season. Lookman was excluded from the squad after reportedly requesting a transfer to Paris Saint-Germain.
Reports surfaced on Sunday that PSG had reached out to Lookman’s representatives to inquire about his availability. Although no formal offer has been made to Atalanta, the link to PSG has reportedly influenced Lookman, who asked not to be selected for today’s match against Lecce, Lookman is not included in the squad for the Serie A fixture.
Since joining Atalanta from RB Leipzig in 2022 for €9.35m plus bonuses, Lookman has been in excellent form, scoring 32 goals and providing 18 assists in 79 competitive appearances. He notably scored a hat-trick in a European final, becoming the sixth player to achieve this feat in a European final, a record initially set by Jupp Heynckes for Borussia Monchengladbach in 1975.
Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini was relying on Lookman’s continued strong performance this season, but his absence is a significant setback. Additionally, the team is missing Teun Koopmeiners, who is in transfer talks with Juventus, and injured players Gianluca Scamacca and Nicolo Zaniolo, leaving only Mateo Retegui and Charles De Ketelaere as available strikers.