NEWLY signed Atletico Madrid forward Ademola Lookman has been handed the club’s jersey number 22 after completing a high-profile move from Italian side Atalanta on the deadline day of the January transfer window.
News Point Nigeria Sport reports that the Nigerian international sealed a four-year contract with the Spanish giants on Monday, ending months of speculation surrounding his future and bringing his three-and-a-half-year stay in Bergamo to a close.
The transfer is reportedly worth €40 million, while Italian outlet La Repubblica disclosed that Lookman will earn €7 million per season at Atletico Madrid—more than triple his previous annual salary of €2.5 million at Atalanta.
Lookman’s move to Spain finally resolves a prolonged transfer saga that dates back to last summer, when he was close to joining Inter Milan. That deal ultimately collapsed after Atalanta blocked the transfer, leading to a brief standoff at the start of the season before the forward was reintegrated into the squad.
Now 28, Lookman leaves Serie A having firmly established himself as one of the league’s most decisive attackers.
During his spell with Atalanta, he made 137 appearances, scoring 55 goals and providing 27 assists, playing a pivotal role in the club’s rise as a European force.
The defining moment of Lookman’s Atalanta career came in the 2024 UEFA Europa League final, where he produced a historic hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen, handing the German side their first defeat of the season and securing Atalanta’s first-ever European trophy.
The triumph ended a 61-year trophy drought for the Bergamo club and instantly elevated Lookman to legendary status among supporters.
Following the announcement of his transfer, Lookman took to his social media platforms to publish an emotional farewell message to Atalanta, describing his time at the club as unforgettable.
“To the Atalanta family, after nearly four years, the time has come for me to say goodbye,” Lookman wrote.
“From the moment I arrived in Bergamo, you welcomed me like one of your own and pushed me to be the best version of myself.”
Reflecting on the Europa League triumph, the forward added: “Together we made history. European champions, a night none of us will ever forget. Scoring a hat-trick in a European final and lifting a trophy with this club after a 61-year trophy drought will stay with me forever.”
Lookman also highlighted his individual accolades achieved while at the club.
“Winning the African Player of the Year award in 2024 as an Atalanta player will also stay with me always. Those moments, those emotions, those nights under the lights are engraved in my heart,” he said.
“To the fans, your passion, your belief and your energy meant everything. From day one, you stood by me and this team through every moment. Thank you for making Bergamo feel like home and for giving me memories I will carry forever.”
Lookman has since resumed training with Atletico Madrid and could make his debut as early as Thursday when Diego Simeone’s side face Real Betis in the quarter-final of the Copa del Rey.
If that fixture comes too soon, the Nigerian forward could instead earn his first minutes at the Wanda Metropolitano in a La Liga clash against the same opponents on Sunday.
The move caps an outstanding year for Lookman, who was named African Footballer of the Year in 2024. He was also the only African player included on the men’s Ballon d’Or shortlist, finishing 14th in the global voting.
As he begins a new chapter in Spain, expectations will be high that Lookman can replicate his Serie A and European heroics in La Liga under Simeone.