Inter Milan has increased its efforts to sign Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman from Atalanta, as club president Giuseppe Marotta confirmed that this week could decide the player’s future.
Inter earlier made a €40 million offer for Lookman, which Atalanta rejected. Atalanta is asking for €50 million, and both clubs are expected to continue negotiations between July 28 and July 30.
“I make no secret of the fact that I think Lookman is a great player. He’s certainly not a player we’re just discovering now,” Marotta said during Inter’s preseason press conference on Monday.
Marotta confirmed that Inter values Lookman highly based on scouting reports and recommendations from the team’s coach. However, he was quick to stress that the club respects Atalanta’s position.
“He’s still an Atalanta player right now. We have the utmost respect for Atalanta, and we’d be remiss if we were to interfere with them,” he said.
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Marotta also revealed that he had already spoken to Atalanta’s top official, Luca Percassi.
“I won’t deny that I’ve exchanged some words with Luca Percassi. That’s part of how it goes – you always raise the bar,” he said.
When asked if Inter could secure Lookman’s transfer soon, Marotta said, “Yes, certainly. Within two to three days, we’ll reach a conclusion to the talks. If the conditions are right and Atalanta are ready to sell him, we’ll start concrete negotiations.”
He admitted that signing the 27-year-old winger, who turns 28 later this year, is different from Inter’s usual approach of buying younger players with resale value.
“Lookman isn’t a player you can sell on for a profit, but he can give us the edge with his quality. A mixture of younger and more experienced players adds value to the squad,” Marotta explained.
Lookman had an impressive season with Atalanta and remains one of the most sought-after talents in Serie A this summer.