In an exciting development that could see two of Nigeria’s most promising attacking talents reunited, Turkish giants Galatasaray are reportedly preparing a January bid to acquire Ademola Lookman from Atalanta.
The reigning African Player of the Year has found himself embroiled in a complicated transfer saga, with his relationship with Atalanta appearing increasingly strained beyond repair.
Recent days have seen significant momentum building around the potential transfer, with renowned football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano noting that while Galatasaray has placed Lookman on their shortlist, they are not the only club interested in securing his services. “One to watch for a possible move in 2026,” Romano remarked, indicating that this could be one of the most high-profile deals of the upcoming winter transfer window.
Lookman’s situation at Atalanta has been deteriorating for several months, despite him playing a pivotal role in the club’s crowning achievement—their impressive 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final in May 2024, where he notably scored a historic hat-trick.
The rift became public when former manager Gian Piero Gasperini made a derisive comment, labelling Lookman as “one of the worst penalty takers I’ve ever seen,” which marked the beginning of the discord.
Tensions escalated further under successor Ivan Juric, culminating in a heated exchange during a Champions League match against Marseille, where Juric was seen grabbing and shoving the Nigerian forward after Lookman expressed his dissatisfaction at being substituted.
Although Juric has since been dismissed, the fallout appears to be long-lasting. Lookman has taken steps to symbolically distance himself from the club, including unfollowing Atalanta on Instagram and removing all posts associated with the team.
Reports suggest that Galatasaray is contemplating a loan deal with an option to buy, aiming to navigate Atalanta’s substantial asking price, which is believed to be in the range of €55-60 million. Alternatively, some sources indicate that a direct offer of around €40 million might be presented.
As the January transfer window approaches, all eyes will be on Lookman and the potential move that could reshape his career and add significant firepower to Galatasaray’s attacking options.
