Football: Arsenal, Liverpool, Man United, among European giants eyeing summer move for Ademola Lookman
Premier League clubs keeping tabs on Lookman
While several European powerhouses have put transfer decisions on hold until the end of the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup, others are taking advantage of the transfer window extension to get early deals done before the mad scramble for reinforcements in September.
Some of the clubs that have already made moves in the transfer market are Liverpool and Manchester United, with the former set to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, while the Red Devils have already acquired the services of Brazilian Matheus Cunha.
However, there is still plenty expected to happen between now and the start of next season, and one player who has popped up on the radar of several EPL clubs in recent weeks is Super Eagles winger Ademola Lookman.
The 27-year-old enjoyed another productive season in Italy, scoring 15 goals and providing five assists to help Atalanta BC to third place in Serie A, which secured them Champions League qualification for a second consecutive season.
However, despite his impressive performance for La Dea in 2024-25, reports in recent days have suggested that the Nigerian star is looking for a move back to England, with Liverpool, Man United and Arsenal all believed to be interested in securing his services.
The Reds had approached Atalanta to sign Lookman in January, but they were unwilling to allow him to leave mid-season. However, it is understood that the Serie A giants are now open to the possibility of allowing him to depart for a fee in the region of £50.4m.
There is also a belief that Arne Slot’s side may be considering a swap deal for Lookman, with Federico Chiesa, who has struggled to find his footing since arriving at Anfield, possibly headed in the opposite direction.
Former Arsenal star urges Gunners to sign Lookman
Aside from Liverpool, Arsenal are expected to be busy in the transfer window, as they look for attacking reinforcements after Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz were both forced to spend the majority of last season on the sidelines due to injury.
Following the departure of Eddie Nketiah to Crystal Palace, Jesus is the only recognised striker at the Emirates Stadium at present, and in his absence, Mikel Arteta was forced to deploy Mikel Merino in a more advanced role.
In the last week, former Arsenal star Ian Wright urged the Gunners to consider signing Lookman this summer, stating that the Nigerian attacker has “unfinished business” in the Premier League.
Lookman began his career at the Charlton academy and had unsuccessful spells at Everton, Fulham and Leicester City before finally finding a home at Atalanta, where he led the team to the Europa League title, scoring a hat-trick in the final.
During his time in Bergamo, Lookman has scored 52 goals and provided 25 assists in 118 appearances, including a career-best 20 goals and seven assists across all competitions last season.
