Atlético de Madrid have completed the signing of Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman from Italian side Atalanta, with the attacker putting pen to paper on a four-year contract that will keep him at the Spanish club until June 30, 2030.
The La Liga giants confirmed the transfer on Monday via their official website, hailing the arrival of the 28-year-old as a major boost to their attacking options. Lookman joins the Madrid-based club after an impressive and highly productive spell in Bergamo, where he re-emerged as one of Europe’s most decisive forwards.
Announcing the deal, Atlético said the former Atalanta star successfully completed his medical at the Vithas-Invictum High-Performance Sports Medicine Centre in Madrid before heading to the club’s headquarters at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano. There, he was welcomed by Atlético’s Chief Executive Officer, Miguel Ángel Gil, and formally signed his contract.
“Atlético de Madrid and Atalanta have reached an agreement for the transfer of Ademola Lookman, who has signed with our club until June 30, 2030,” the club stated. “Welcome, Lookman!”
Born in Wandsworth, London, on October 20, 1997, Lookman began his football journey with Waterloo FC before rising through the ranks at Charlton Athletic, where he made his senior debut in November 2015. His career later took him across Europe, with spells at Everton, RB Leipzig, Fulham and Leicester City, before his move to Atalanta in 2022.
It was in Italy that Lookman enjoyed the most prolific period of his career. During his time with Atalanta, he made 137 appearances, scoring 55 goals and registering 27 assists. He played a key role in the club’s historic 2023/24 UEFA Europa League triumph, memorably scoring a stunning hat-trick in the final against Bayer Leverkusen to secure a 3–0 win and Atalanta’s first-ever continental title.
On the international scene, Lookman initially represented England at youth level and was part of the squad that won the 2017 FIFA Under-20 World Cup. He later switched allegiance to Nigeria, making his senior debut for the Super Eagles in March 2022. Since then, he has earned 41 caps and scored 11 goals for the national team.
With his proven quality and big-game experience, Lookman’s arrival is expected to add pace, creativity and goals to Diego Simeone’s Atlético Madrid side.
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