English Premier League giants Liverpool, Newcastle, and Tottenham Hotspur have dispatched scouts to monitor Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman ahead of a potential move next summer, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.
As reported by TBR Football’s Graeme Bailey, scouts from these clubs were present during the UEFA Champions League match between Atalanta and Arsenal last Thursday to observe the Nigeria international.
“TBR reveals that Tottenham, Liverpool, and Newcastle were all represented in Bergamo on Thursday,” the website stated.
“Scouts from Tottenham, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Newcastle United were there to watch Ademola Lookman and Ederson midweek. We’ve been told that the main reason for their attendance was to assess the progress of Ederson and Lookman, both of whom they closely evaluated during the summer.”
Lookman and Ederson were linked with moves in the previous transfer window, but Atalanta opted to retain both players. Nevertheless, interest in Lookman remains strong.
Since joining Atalanta for €9.35 million plus bonuses from RB Leipzig in 2022, Lookman has been in superb form for the Black and Blues, scoring 33 goals and providing 19 assists in 81 competitive matches. His impressive performance was pivotal in helping Atalanta return to the UEFA Champions League after clinching the UEFA Europa League trophy last season, their first European title, notably defeating the ‘invincible’ Bayern Leverkusen 3-0 in the final.
Lookman scored a hat-trick in that match, marking Xabi Alonso’s side’s only defeat of the 2023/24 season and making him the first player to score a hat-trick in a Europa League final, a feat previously achieved by Jupp Heynckes for Borussia Monchengladbach in the 1975 UEFA Cup.
The 25-year-old’s remarkable form during the 2023/24 season attracted interest from several clubs over the summer, including Liverpool, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, and Juventus.
Rumours of Lookman moving to a bigger club intensified when he missed Atalanta’s opening two games of the season, with Football Italia reporting that he requested not to be called up for the match against Lecce.
Despite no transfer materialising, Lookman has returned to Atalanta and started the season strongly, scoring a goal and providing an assist in his first game. At 26, Lookman’s best years are still ahead, and if he maintains last season’s performance, he will likely be among the most sought-after players in the next transfer window.
