Atalanta head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has expressed his displeasure over the uncertainty surrounding Ademola Lookman’s future at the club amidst interest from Saudi Arabia and France.
Although Lookman featured in Atalanta’s 2-0 UEFA Super Cup defeat to Real Madrid on Saturday, August 14, the Super Eagles winger was excluded from La Dea’s matchday squad for their Serie A opener on Monday. His omission fueled transfer rumours linking him to a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
“I owe a lot to Lookman; he has a very sincere relationship with me. The bad thing is that these situations arise with the championship underway,” Gasperini remarked.
“Nobody likes these situations. In July, he wouldn’t have created these types of problems.”
The 66-year-old also voiced his dissatisfaction with the transfer window remaining open after the resumption of the leagues across Europe.
“Football is an entertainment and spectacle sport, and we have to do it for the people. This is the madness of those who still allow these situations. Otherwise, it would have been resolved, and the teams would all be defined before the championship.
“In that case, we could have started the season with fans knowing which team they are going to see. This is really something strange.”
Lookman joined Atalanta in 2022 on a four-year deal from German Bundesliga side RB Leipzig. The 26-year-old scored 17 goals and registered 10 assists for the Bergamo-based club last season, helping them reach the Coppa Italia final before scoring a hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final.
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