Revealed: Why Ademola Lookman joined Atletico instead of Bayern Munich

Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman was close to completing a move to Bayern Munich last summer before internal decisions at the German club scuppered the deal, Soccernet.ng reports.

Lookman has been one of Europe’s most exciting attackers in recent years and reached a personal high in terms of numbers in the Serie A last season, scoring 15 goals and providing five assists.

The Bavarian giants identified him as a key addition to strengthen their attack around Harry Kane, and even reached personal agreements with the London-born Nigerian star, before eventually backing out of the deal.

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Why Lookman's deal to Bayern Munich fell through

According to Christian Falk from the Bayern Insider podcast, Bayern's sporting director, Max Eberl, had already secured an agreement with Lookman last summer while he was still at Atalanta.

While the player had agreed to the move, the transfer stalled when Bayern’s leadership refused to approve the required transfer fee.

Atalanta were reportedly demanding around €50 million for Lookman, a figure Bayern’s board, led by influential figure Uli Hoeneß, was unwilling to sanction.

The decision effectively ended Bayern’s pursuit of the Super Eagles star despite Eberl already giving the green light.

Following the collapse of the Lookman deal, the Record Meister secured the services of Nicolas Jackson on loan from Chelsea FC in a deal worth €16.5 million.

However, the Senegalese has struggled to make a significant impact under Bayern coach Vincent Kompany.

Jackson has found opportunities limited and has largely remained on the bench at the Allianz Arena, and only scored his first goal since November in the club's win against Borussia Monchengladbach last night.

Atletico Madrid enter the fray

While Bayern hesitated, Inter Milan submitted a bid for Lookman, but Atalanta were adamant about not parting with one of their best players to a domestic rival, and as such, Lookman remained at Bergamo, although he experienced a huge dip in form.

The AFCON 2025 tournament gave the former Leicester City attacker a much-needed spark, as he scored three and set up another four in Morocco, sparking a transfer tussle between Fenerbahce and Atletico Madrid.

The Spanish side eventually signed the Nigerian attacker for €35 million, a fee that now appears to represent strong value considering his impressive form.

Under manager Diego Simeone, Lookman has quickly established himself as an important player in the team’s attacking setup, scoring four goals and providing two assists since joining last month.