Gasperini saga: Ademola Lookman’s set to dump Atalanta after Champions League drama

Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman is set to leave Italian Serie A club Atalanta at the end of the season following Gian Pero Gasperini's recent harsh comments about him, Soccernet.ng reports.

Atalanta have dominated the news in the last 24 hours, but it has been for controversial reasons. The reigning UEFA Europa League champions suffered a 3-1 loss to Club Brugge on Tuesday, which knocked them out of the Champions League.

Lookman started from the bench as he was recovering from an injury. And when he was introduced into the game, he looked like he was up to something after scoring in the first minute of the restart. However, he was brought back to earth after missing a penalty kick a few minutes later. The miss was costly as Atalanta eventually lost the game.

After the game, La Dea boss Gasperini was displeased with Lookman's miss, and he was blind about it, calling the Super Eagles star the worst penalty taker he has seen.

That statement caused a big ruckus, and Lookman later commented his displeasure with Gasperini on his social media pages.

The situation has put Lookman's career in the spotlight, with many Nigerian fans advising him to leave.

In a related development, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports that the Super Eagles star is set to leave Bergamo at the end of the season.

Understand plan remains for Ademola Lookman to LEAVE Atalanta this summer.

Atalanta will try to clarify the situation with Gasperini in the next 24h after strong quotes… but won’t change future plans.

It was already planned last summer, transfer to happen this year. pic.twitter.com/f06kx2yVj6

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 19, 2025

According to Romano, Lookman and Atalanta had already agreed to part ways since the start of the season. But with Gasperini's recent comments, the Super Eagles star will be eager to leave.

 Where could Ademola Lookman go next?

As it stands, Lookman is not short of suitors. The Nigerian forward has been linked with Premier League clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal.

However, he has struggled to impress in his multiple tries at Premier League football. As such, he may be looking at another league where he can make an impact. LaLiga could be a good option for Lookman, but the top clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona do not need him.

Lookman has been linked to Atletico Madrid recently, which could be a good option for him to exploit. Atalanta will be under pressure to sell Lookman in the summer with one year left on his contract. As such, they could demand a fee in the region of 55 million euros.