Had he completed his highly publicized summer transfer to Inter Milan, former Italian football player Ciro Ferrara has sparked further controversy.
Throughout the summer transfer window, Lookman’s possible move to Inter dominated the news, with reports that the forward told Atalanta that he wanted to leave. Lookman openly sought a transfer and skipped training for over a week in an attempt to force the move, which culminated the weeks-long ordeal.

Even though Inter and the Nigerian agreed on personal conditions, including a possible five-year contract, Atalanta CEO Antonio Percassi rejected the move, arguing that even if Lookman had been guaranteed a departure in 2025, the club would not sell him to a Serie A opponent.

The Super Eagles star was incensed by the decision and accused the team of breaking their promise. He deleted up all Atalanta-related content from his social media profiles, went on a two-week strike, and skipped training sessions without a valid medical excuse in protest.

Unfazed, Atalanta turned down Inter’s last €45 million offer, forcing the Nerazzurri to end talks and focus on other matters.

Now that the matter has been resolved, Ferrara has rekindled the discussion by speculating that Lookman might have found it difficult to integrate into Cristian Chivu’s tactical scheme and would have most likely been benched.

At Inter, Lookman would have been benched. Inerazzurro cited the 58-year-old as saying, “You would have had to change a lot to insert it, starting with the formation.”

“I’m not sure if such qualities were appropriate. Even if he is a key player, you ought to have altered the starting lineup’s established setup and tactical expertise.

Despite making three appearances for Atalanta this season, Lookman has not yet recorded a goal or an assist. The Nigerian forward had a tough game against Como on Saturday, earning his first Serie A start of the season before being replaced in the 73rd minute.