Inter Milan have pulled out of the race to sign Nigerian winger Ademola Lookman after failing to reach an agreement with Atalanta.
According to respected journalist Fabrizio Romano, the deal is now officially off:
“Inter will talk to Ademola Lookman’s agent in the next 24 hours and are expected to inform the Nigerian forward that the deal is off. Negotiations with Atalanta have been completely frozen for two weeks.
“The Lookman deal was never linked to Nicola Zalewski’s move to Atalanta.”
Inter submitted an initial bid of €40 million, later increasing it to €45 million with add-ons, but Atalanta rejected it holding out for €50 million.
Lookman was reportedly very keen on the move and had turned down offers from Atlético Madrid and Napoli.
Now that the deal to the Nerazzurri has collapsed, his next destination remains unclear as Atlético and Napoli have shifted focus to other target.
However Atlético’s opening weekend loss to Espanyol in the La Liga might just bring them back into the picture.
There have also been rumours from the English press that Lookman has admires from Arsenal ‘s transfer chiefs but no concrete developments have emerged from the reports.
Lookman’s representatives, ROOF—an agency that also works with players like Kai Havertz, Karim Adeyemi, Mohammed Kudus, Harvey Elliott, and Serge Gnabry—is now tasked with the responsibility of finding the Nigerian new offers.
The relationship between Lookman and Atalanta is completely damaged. The Nigerian has reportedly left Bergamo, and has removed the club from his Instagram bio and deleted all of the club’s pictures.
A reintegration into Atalanta’s squad now seems impossible.
