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Abiodun Adewale
Nigerian forward, Ademola Lookman, is fast becoming one of the top players in the Italian Serie A with his consistent eye-catching performances for Atalanta, which has seen him score 21 goals and provide 14 assists between last season, when he joined, and now, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
On Sunday, the 26-year-old provided two assists in their 2-1 win at Monza, to add to his growing tally among providers in Serie A.
According to OPTA, a sports data brand, Lookman is the fifth player to score more than 20 goals and deliver more than 10 assists since the start of last season in Serie A, after Napoli’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, AC Milan’s Raphael Leão, Paulo Dybala of Roma and Milan’s Olivier Giroud.
Two seasons ago, at 24, the Nigerian forward wasn’t considered good enough in England, having played for five teams in England and Germany, to find his feet. In 2017, he moved from Charlton Athletic to Everton, where he only managed four goals in 48 appearances. He was then sold to RB Leipzig in Germany, where he scored five goals in 24 appearances before the German club sent him back on loan to England with Fulham and Leicester City.
At Fulham, he managed four goals in 35 appearances while his stint at Leicester saw him score eight times in 42 games.
Across the two seasons in Italy, Lookman has scored 21 goals and provided 14 assists. While OPTA’s data showed 11 assists, the Nigerian has 14 (eight in 2022/23 and six so far in 2023/24), as recorded by Transfermarkt, a website which keeps the stats of players performances.
In total, he has made 35-goal contributions for Atalanta between last season and now, placing him fifth behind Dybala (39), Giroud (39), Leao (41) and Kvaratskhelia (42).
Aside from placing him among the high performers in Seria A, the numbers also show how the player, who couldn’t stamp his authority at three clubs in the English Premier League, has adapted in the Italian topflight.
Lookman, a graduate of Charlton Athletic Academy, joined Atalanta on a four-year contract for a reported €15m from Leipzig and long-serving academy director at Charlton Athletic, Steve Avory, couldn’t be prouder of the Nigerian when he broke out in the Serie A last season.
“It hasn’t surprised me that he has coped with all of the different club environments he has been to. Because he is a young man who seems to just take things in his stride so well,” Avory said in a documentary.
“We are talking about a young man here who is playing at the top level. He truly has made it. We want and hope that he continues doing that for good years to come.”
His form at Atalanta has seen them through to the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League, where they play French side Marseille, and the Coppa Italia, which will see them face Fiorentina on Wednesday (today).
“We all see Lookman‘s potential and speed, but we must admit that he once didn’t play so offensively,” Atalanta coach Gian Gasperini said per Pazzi di Fanta.
“He used to score six or seven goals a year, while now he is quick, good at dribbling and even strong with his head. I encourage him because now and then, he hides from the game, but I believe that when he approaches the area, he can become a reference player for our team.”
Now valued at €30m, Lookman’s contract with Atalanta expires in 2026 and talks about a return to England for him remains to be seen.
Atalanta are currently sixth in Serie A, and with six games left till the end of the season, they have a huge chance of claiming a UEFA Champions League slot next season as well.