Ademola Lookman is back at Atalanta’s Zingonia training base after his push to join Inter Milan collapsed, ending a tense standoff that saw the Nigeria international absent from team training for several weeks.
The African Player of the Year had set his sights on a switch to the Nerazzurri after Inter tabled a €45m bid including bonuses, but Atalanta rejected the offer. Frustrated, Lookman submitted a transfer request and accused the club of breaking promises and treating him poorly “as a human being and professional footballer.”
Atalanta CEO Luca Percassi later admitted there was a gentleman’s agreement allowing Lookman to leave this summer, but only for a suitable fee and only to a club outside Italy. That clause effectively blocked Inter’s approach and fuelled the breakdown between player and club.
In protest, Lookman stayed away from Atalanta, choosing instead to train on his own in the UK. His absence was unauthorised, and Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport reports he is now likely to be fined and could also see his wages docked for the weeks he skipped.
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With Inter now abandoning their pursuit, Lookman has reluctantly rejoined Atalanta, though he is still training separately from the rest of Gian Piero Gasperini’s squad. His reintegration into the team remains uncertain, especially with the 2025/26 Serie A season set to kick off on Sunday when La Dea host newly-promoted Pisa in Bergamo.
Whether Lookman will feature in that game is unclear, but his return to Zingonia signals a dramatic shift in what has been one of Italy’s most contentious transfer sagas of the summer.
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