Atalanta coach Ivan Juric has confirmed that Ademola Lookman will miss Wednesday’s Champions League opener against Paris Saint-Germain, as the Nigerian forward remains sidelined following an unsuccessful bid to leave the club during the summer transfer window.
Atalanta prepared for the clash in Paris with a 4–1 victory over Lecce on Sunday, but once again did so without their star man. Lookman has not featured at all this season after failing to force a move to Inter Milan.
This is the second consecutive summer the 27-year-old has sought a transfer having previously tried to join PSG in 2024, shortly after inspiring Atalanta to their historic Europa League triumph, where they stunned Bayer Leverkusen 3–0 and he scored a memorable hat-trick.
Asked whether Lookman would make the trip to Paris, Juric replied: “I don’t think so. It’s an unpleasant situation. He has given a lot to Atalanta, but Atalanta has given him a lot as well. We need players who are ready, who want to play for the shirt and improve. Looking ahead, we’ll see what happens.”
Since arriving in Bergamo three years ago after mixed spells in England and Germany, Lookman has emerged as one of Europe’s top forwards, netting 52 goals in 117 appearances for the Serie A side. He scored 20 times in all competitions last season, including five in seven Champions League matches.
However, his relationship with the club soured after he skipped training sessions in hopes that Inter would meet Atalanta’s €50 million asking price, a deal that never materialised. Lookman remains under contract until June 2027 and has since been frozen out of Juric’s squad, following the managerial change from Gian Piero Gasperini.
Despite his absence, Atalanta are unbeaten in their first three league matches, currently sitting sixth, just one point behind Roma, who suffered a surprise 1–0 home defeat to Torino earlier on Sunday.
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