According to Sky Sports News and as confirmed by Fabrizio Romano, Ademola Lookman has returned to group training at Atalanta for the first time since July. The Nigerian international is reportedly ready to put behind him a failed summer transfer and is now motivated to rejoin his teammates. Ademola reportedly met with Ivan Juric over dinner and clarified his situation with him after being left out of Atalanta’s squad to face Lecce — a game they won — as well as the travelling UCL squad to face PSG.
Speaking about Ademola’s exclusion, Juric revealed that they needed players who were extra motivated for the badge. Atalanta CEO Luca Percassi also noted that, despite the transfer turmoil of the summer, they were ready to reintegrate Lookman back into the squad. This was demonstrated by their refusal of a late loan offer from Galatasaray and by adding him to their UEFA UCL squad list.
However, questions remain about whether the relationship can be repaired — not only with Atalanta’s management but also with Lookman and the fans. Apparently, he had not only deleted everything related to Atalanta from his social media page but had also released a statement accusing them of treating him unfairly before refusing to train. This did not sit well with the Atalanta ultras, who noted that he had abandoned his teammates twice in a row. The first time was after winning the Europa League, when he asked to be sold following a £25m offer from PSG and stopped training for a while. Atalanta then stepped in, promising to let him leave for a “fair price” in the summer window. However, they eventually refused to sell, prompting Ademola to skip training in hopes of forcing a move.
Despite the controversy, Atalanta fans know that he is one of their best players when available. While fans are emotional, many believe that if Ademola gives everything on the field, he can win them back. Still, there are concerns that he might try to force another move in January — especially as he may only be playing to stay fit ahead ofAFCON.