The president of Fenerbahçe SK, Sadettin Saran, has revealed how the club’s pursuit of Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman ultimately fell apart before the player completed a move to Atlético Madrid during the January transfer window.
Saran explained that negotiations had progressed significantly at one stage, with the Turkish club confident they were close to securing the attacker from Atalanta BC. However, disagreements over financial guarantees eventually halted the deal.
Lookman had already indicated his desire to leave Atalanta earlier in the year. Despite several approaches from interested clubs during the summer window, the Serie A side initially resisted selling the forward.
The uncertainty surrounding his future reportedly left the Nigerian international unsettled during the early months of the season in Bergamo.
His reputation continued to grow, however, particularly after an impressive campaign with the Nigeria national football team at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
During the competition, Lookman produced three goals and four assists – the highest total goal involvement recorded by any player at the tournament.
Following those performances, Fenerbahçe made a strong attempt to secure the player’s signature in January, submitting an offer reported to be worth €35 million.
According to Saran, he travelled personally to begin negotiations soon after restrictions affecting his role were lifted.
“On December 19th, as soon as my foreign ban was lifted, I went to Milan for Lookman and met his manager,” he explained.
He said the early discussions with the player’s representatives and Atalanta officials appeared encouraging. “Everything went very well. Then we spoke with Atalanta officials and things were positive.”
The negotiations eventually became complicated when Atalanta requested additional financial assurances before completing the deal.
Saran said the Italian club asked for a formal letter guaranteeing that the transfer payments would be fulfilled, citing concerns about financial reliability among Turkish clubs.
“They asked for a letter of guarantee because they said Turkish clubs sometimes struggle with payments,” he said.
Fenerbahçe refused to provide the requested document, insisting the club had no outstanding debts and was capable of meeting its financial obligations. “We told them we owe no one and that we would pay everything.”
Despite the growing uncertainty in negotiations, Saran indicated that Lookman himself had shown genuine interest in the move to Turkey.
According to the Fenerbahçe president, the player even spoke directly with the club’s coach several times during the discussions.
“Lookman spoke with our coach two or three times and he wanted to come.”
While the negotiations continued, Spanish side Atlético Madrid moved quickly to secure the Nigerian forward.
Saran suggested that Atalanta ultimately favoured the Spanish club’s offer. “Atalanta came again asking for the guarantee. They didn’t want to give the transfer to us – they preferred Atlético Madrid,” he said. “That’s how the process ended.”
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Since joining Atlético Madrid, Lookman has quickly settled into life under manager Diego Simeone.
The forward has made an encouraging start in Spain, recording four goals and three assists in 11 appearances for the club.
His strong early performances have continued the form that made him one of Europe’s most sought-after attackers during the most recent transfer window.
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