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Jonny Edward
Leicester City are ruing the loss of Ademola Lookman to Serie A club Atalanta, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The Foxes failed to take up the chance to sign the Nigerian permanently from Red Bull Leipzig after he impressed at the King Power Stadium.
City were said to be keen on making the deal permanent when the summer window came around. However, both the squad size and financial restrictions over the transfer window meant that a move never materialised.
Lookman instead completed a £15m move to Serie A side Atalanta, where City’s former head of recruitment Lee Congerton now works.
The 24-year-old played a total of 42 times, scoring eight goals and providing five assists. One of his goals was the winner in the memorable 1-0 victory over Liverpool at the King Power Stadium at the end of December.
The Nigerian winger is flourishing in Italy with Atalanta scoring three goals and providing a further three assists in his nine Serie A appearances so far. His latest goal came in the 2-2 draw with Udinese Calcio and was the winger’s second goal in as many games in the competition.
That goal prompted a reaction from City fans on social media, with one writing, “Not buying this lad is the single most baffling thing that’s happened at the King Power for years.”
A second just simply wrote, “Pain.”
Speaking after City’s first game of the season back in August, Brendan Rodgers admitted that he was looking to have made Lookman’s loan deal permanent in the summer. “I would have loved to have signed Ademola who was great here last season and got over 10 goals and assists but we weren’t able to do that,” he said.
“Unfortunately that means we then have to look at the squad and the team and try to adapt, and then put them out to be as best organised as they can be.”
Lookman will look to continue his blistering start to the season for the Lombardy side when they face Sassuolo on Saturday.
