Ademola Lookman is expected to leave Atalanta this summer, and an Italian football expert has warned one of the interested clubs to desist from signing the Super Eagles star.

Lookman joined Atalanta from RB Leipzig during the summer 2022 transfer window, and his career transformed, with him becoming one of the best players in the world in his position.

He properly announced himself to the world with a brilliant hat-trick in the 2024 UEFA Europa League final against unbeaten German champions Bayer Leverkusen.

Paris Saint-Germain attempted to sign him afterwards, but Atalanta refused to sell, citing the lateness of the bid and the lack of time to find a replacement as the reasons.

He had agreed a five-year contract worth €5 million per season with the UEFA Champions League winners, but the move never happened, and they signed Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in January.

Napoli pushed to sign Lookman in January as Kvaratskhelia’s replacement, but Atalanta rebuffed the approach as they are unwilling to sell to a direct rival, especially in January.

The Neapolitans will try again this summer as he is one of their wingers to fill the left forward position as they push to defend their title next season.

Italian football expert Marcelo Altamura has warned Napoli against signing the reigning African Footballer of the Year and should instead look at other options.

“I would probably choose the Zaccagni–Ndoye pairing, and I’ll tell you why. They are both strong and reliable players,” Altamura told 1 Station Radio.

“Ndoye, on the other hand, is a player I have always liked: explosive, very technical, but also disciplined. He is not one of those ‘anarchic’ talents like Lookman, who scores a gem of a goal but then doesn’t follow the instructions.

“In short, if I could choose, I would undoubtedly opt for the two of them.”

Atalanta head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has complained about Lookman's adherence to instructions on two occasions, one of which led to a public fallout after their elimination from the UEFA Champions League.

The Super Eagles forward, despite interest from France, Italy and Spain, claimed he prefers to return to England, where he had unsuccessful stints with Fulham and Everton.

“The Premier League is definitely suited to my style because it’s fast, technical, physical — and it’s the country I grew up in,” he said as quoted by Brila FM.

However, Atalanta's new head coach Ivan Juric is not open to the idea of losing Lookman and midfielder Ederson, both of whom have interests from other clubs.

Legit.ng previously reported that Hansi Flick recommended Lookman to Barcelona as a potential signing as the La Liga champions move to bolster their squad.

However, the move is unlikely to progress as the Blaugrana are close to securing the signing of Spanish international winger Nico Williams from Athletic Bilbao.

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Source: Legit.ng