“Extraordinary qualities” – Gasperini wants ex-Chelsea winger to emulate unstoppable Super Eagles star

The Ivorian international is becoming a key player for the Goddess but the Italian manager insists he can produce at the same level as his Nigerian teammate

Atalanta head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has charged gifted attacker Jeremie Boga to step up his game to become a deadly goal merchant like Super Eagles winger Ademola Lookman.

Boga arrived at Atalanta permanently in July for €22 million after initially impressing on a six months loan spell.

Lookman joined the Goddess a month later from RB Leipzig for a fee less than half of what Atalanta paid Sassuolo for Boga.

But it is the Nigerian forward who has taken the Italian top flight by storm, netting 12 goals and adding four in 19 appearances to become Atalanta’s number-one protagonist.

The Super Eagles star has been even more spectacular in 2023, scoring seven goals in his last four games, including a stunning individual goal in the 2-0 win over Sampdoria on Saturday.

Former Chelsea lad, Boga has been decent with one goal and five assists in ten appearances for Atalanta but Gasperini is convinced the Ivorian international has the potential to produce more.

What has been said?

And the veteran Italian tactician has urged Boga to master the art of surging into the opponents’ danger area like Lookman to improve his end product.

“For a long time many thought of Boga as a player capable of discarding four men and scoring goals,” Gasperini said, as per Tutto Atalanata.

“He has these things in his kitty, but (he has only shown it) a couple of times in the championship. He has extraordinary qualities that he must be able to make available to the team, he must be a more complete player not limited to dribbling and one-on-one action.

“If he learns how to get into the box like Lookman, he can score more goals.”

No player – not even Victor Osimhen, Erling Haaland, or Robert Lewandowski – has scored more goals than Lookman in 2023 in any of Europe’s top five leagues.