As the Bergamo club continues to demand the entire €60 million asking price for the 27-year-old Nigerian international, Atalanta rejected Inter’s increased offer of €42 million plus €3 million in add-ons on Friday, sparking the spectacular social media response.
Lookman’s Instagram purge was extensive; the current African Footballer of the Year deleted posts and images of himself wearing Atalanta’s jersey, including his profile picture, and removed the club’s name from his bio.
With Lookman and Inter apparently having already reached a personal agreement over the possible move to San Siro, the social media events highlight the mounting animosity between the player and the club.
Fabrizio Romano claims that Atalanta notified Inter of their decision to turn down the most recent offer, which was an upgrade over an earlier offering of €40 million that was also rejected. Even if that amount includes performance-related bonuses, La Dea has stated that they are willing to pay the whole asking price for Lookman.
As part of Lookman’s initial transfer from the German club in 2022, the club was required to pay RB Leipzig 10% of the earnings up to €20 million and 15% above that amount. This commitment has contributed to the club’s tough attitude.
The Premier League clubs are aware of the amount required to persuade Atalanta to sell, while the Serie A powerhouses are now anticipated to look for other options.
Lookman, meanwhile, was not included on Atalanta’s roster for Saturday’s preseason matchup against RB Leipzig in Germany.
Lookman, who paid €10.8 million to join Atalanta from RB Leipzig and has since scored 52 goals in 118 games for the Bergamo-based team, has had an incredible time, but the transfer controversy still clouds his memories.
In the 2023–24 Europa League final, he notably scored a hat-trick to assist Atalanta defeat Bayer Leverkusen in Dublin and win their first-ever European championship.
Due to his outstanding play, the Nigerian international was named the CAF African Footballer of the Year, replacing Victor Osimhen, who received the honor in
