Although the turmoil of the previous few months seems to have passed, the Nigerian forward’s current contract only lasts until June 2027, and it is unclear how long he will stay in Bergamo.

This summer, Lookman made an unsuccessful attempt to negotiate his own departure from Bergamo. Although Inter Milan made a lot of effort to sign the La Dea star, a price could not be reached.

He then returned to Bergamo as the club struggled to accept a situation that disrupted the regular routine for at least a few months. This was followed by rebellion and escape.

In the goalless draw against Lazio over the weekend, Atalanta displayed patience in waiting for the right time to return him to the starting lineup. Coach Ivan Juric praised his performance despite the lack of goals, saying, “Lookman? Today we put in a very high-level performance; in the second half, he lit up completely,” as reported by Fcinter1908. Juric also noted how he covered the flank in the final minutes, performing flawless defensive work.

In his first appearance under Juric, the defending African Footballer of the Year was obviously unfit for the game, but his play is steadily getting better. The coach said, “He was unlucky with the header that was miraculously saved by the goalkeeper, but his performance remains at a very high level.” He was unfortunate not to score against Lazio.
Regaining La Dea’s goals would be crucial, especially after the Champions League match against Slavia Prague ended in another goalless stalemate. However, they will unavoidably need to get together and talk about his contract situation’s next course of action before the year is out.

Since Atalanta was never willing to go below a specific amount for the 28-year-old, who celebrated his 28th birthday on Monday, his performances can help increase the profit margin. His contract is not long, but this time around everyone wants to join forces and find a solution to prevent future storms.