Ademola Lookman praised for making Atletico Madrid switch

Former Nigerian international Godwin Okpara has praised Ademola Lookman’s decision to ditch Serie A outfit Atalanta for Spanish La Liga side Atletico Madrid.

The 2024 African Footballer of the Year signed for the Madrid based club in a deal reportedly valued at €35 million, with an additional €5 million in performance-related add-ons.

 

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The 28-year-old arrived at Atletico with a rich experience from Italian Serie A where guided Atalanta to the EUROPA League in 2024.

The Super Eagle kicked off life in Spain with a goal and an assist on his debut for La Liga side Atlético Madrid in their 5-0 thrashing of Real Betis in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals.

‘I’m very happy for him’

His decision to leave Atalanta has caught the attention of Okpara, who said as quoted by Footy Africa: “Just look at it when you look at Fenerbahçe, and look at Atletico Madrid. Even a blind person would not choose Fenerbahçe.

“Not that it’s not a good league. It’s a good league. But exposure is where you want to improve your game, where the whole world will see you. This is the league [La Liga]. This is the right league for him to go to.”

He added: “You know, we are not saying that the Turkish league is bad, no. Would you want people to see you? People all over the world are watching La Liga. Two people are watching the Turkish league. So, I mean, nobody would take Fenerbahçe rather than going to Atletico Madrid.

“So it’s the right choice. They know themselves that Lookman will not come. They just tried, and at the end of the day, he wouldn’t take them. It’s a gamble thing. I’m very happy for him. And it’s good for our nation.”

Lookman enjoyed a successful spell with Atalanta, scoring 55 times, and providing 27 assists.