Reigning African Player of the Year, Ademola Lookman, has intensified his push for a move away from Atalanta by skipping the club’s training session on Monday, following rising tensions over a potential transfer.

The Nigerian forward has been linked with a high-profile switch to Inter Milan, 2025 UEFA Champions League finalists. However, Atalanta recently rejected a €45 million offer from the Nerazzurri, which included performance-related bonuses, insisting on their €50 million valuation.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Lookman’s absence from training is part of his efforts to pressure the club into approving a move. “Ademola Lookman didn’t show up for training today as he keeps insisting on his plan to leave Atalanta,” Romano posted on X (formerly Twitter). “The €42m plus €3m bid was rejected last week. No new bid from Inter so far.”

Lookman had issued an official transfer request on Sunday and later released a statement on Instagram, expressing frustration over Atalanta's unwillingness to sanction the move. In the post, he said he believed it was “the right time to move on and experience a new adventure,” while accusing the club of “blocking the opportunity for reasons I do not understand.”

The club revealed that Lookman had deleted all Atalanta-related content from his social media accounts before his outburst, signalling a breakdown in relations.

Atalanta, however, maintains that while they are open to selling the player, it will not be to a domestic rival. Club CEO Luca Percassi confirmed that Lookman was previously granted permission to leave — but under specific conditions.

“It’s important to clarify,” Percassi told Italian media outlet TMW. “Last year, after receiving a €20 million offer from PSG, the player asked to leave. We agreed to grant his wish this summer, under two conditions: the move must be to a top European club, and never to another Serie A team.”

“Today, the context is completely different. Atalanta will always evaluate offers carefully, but the final decision remains with the club,” he added.

In a follow-up statement, Atalanta reiterated that the so-called gentleman’s agreement mentioned by Lookman was informal and based on last year’s PSG interest, which never developed into formal negotiations due to the low valuation by the French club.

Ademola Lookman Skips Training Amid Transfer Dispute with Atalanta

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