Inter Milan are facing difficulties in their pursuit of Atalanta winger Ademola Lookman. The Nigerian is said to be open to the move away from La Dea.

Earlier this week, Atalanta rejected the first offer of €40m, as reported by Gazete Express. Inter then returned with an improved bid of €42m plus €3m, which was also turned down. Atalanta are said to be holding on to a €50m valuation for Ademola Lookman.

The Europa League winner in 2024 had an incredible spell in Serie A. Scoring 15 goals and providing 5 assists in 31 Serie A matches last season, which helped the team earn a spot in the Champions League next season.

The former Evertonian had a brief spell at the start of his career in the English Premier League. He played for Everton in the 2017/18 season before his loan move to RB Leipzig in January 2018.

RB Leipzig then made the move permanent in the summer of 2019. Lookman returned to the Premier League on loan to Fulham and Leicester City.

In 2022, Atalanta signed Lookman from Leipzig for over €10m. The move turned out to be the best in his career so far. His overall performance improved so much under Gian Gasperini.

As of now, Lookman has managed to score a total of 52 goals and  25 assists in his 118 appearances for Atalanta. His huge showing came in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen, where he scored a hat-trick and was named player of the match.

Other Options for Inter?

Inter Milan are looking into other players in the market, should the deal for Lookman fail to materialize.

Christopher Nkunku from the London club, Chelsea, is one of the options. Inter are keeping an eye on the Frenchman. The salary difference between the two players could play a significant role in determining who ends up at Nerazzurri.

Christopher Nkunku earns €6.5m currently at Chelsea, while Ademola Lookman is said to have an agreement with Inter on a €4.5m per year contract with Cristian Chivu’s side.