Atletico Madrid sign Ademola Lookman from Atalanta for €35m

Spanish giants Atletico Madrid have completed the signing of Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman for a reported fee of 35 million euros (£30.3 million) from Serie A side Atalanta.

Atletico announced Lookman’s signing via a statement on Monday.

The Nigerian international also announced his departure in an emotional farewell message shared on his social media accounts on Monday and addressed to Atalanta supporters, teammates and staff.

Lookman described his time in Bergamo as one of the most memorable periods of his career.

“To the Atalanta family, after nearly four years, the time has come for me to say goodbye. From the moment I arrived in Bergamo, you welcomed me like one of your own and pushed me to be the best version of myself,” he stated.

Reflecting on his achievements with the club, Lookman highlighted Atalanta’s historic European triumph, where he scored a hat-trick in the final to end the club’s 61-year wait for a major trophy.

The 28-year-old winger also recalled winning the 2024 Africa Player of the Year award while still an Atalanta player, describing the honour as one of the defining moments of his career.

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Lookman expressed gratitude to his teammates, coaches and club officials, as well as the fans, whose support he said played a major role in the team’s success.

Lookman said: “Together we made history. European champions, a night none of us will ever forget.

“Scoring a hat-trick in a European final and lifting a trophy with this club after a 61 year trophy drought will stay with me.

“Winning the Africa Player of the year award in 2024 as an Atalanta player will forever stay with me. Those moments, those emotions, those nights under the lights, they’re engraved in my heart.

“Thank you to my teammates, the staff, the club. To the fans, your passion, your belief, your energy meant everything.

“From day one, you stood by me and by this team through every moment. Your passion, your voices, your belief never faded and together we achieved.

“Every cheer, every banner, every away trip meant something. Thank you for making Bergamo feel like home and for giving me memories I’ll carry forever.”

Lookman now begins a new chapter with Atletico Madrid, where he is expected to strengthen Diego Simeone’s attacking options ahead of the new LaLiga season.

London-born, the Nigeria forward has played in Serie A since 2022, scoring 55 times for Atalanta following a move from RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga.

His goals included a hat-trick in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen in 2024, which secured the club’s first European trophy and ended the German side’s 51-match unbeaten run.

He was only the sixth player to score a treble in a European club final and the first since 1975.

Lookman went on to be crowned the African Footballer of the Year that same year.

He began his career at Charlton Athletic, playing his first game in 2015, before moving to Everton two years later where he scored on his Premier League debut.

However, after failing to impose himself following the £11 million move, he enjoyed a successful loan spell with RB Leipzig in the first half of 2018 and moved permanently to Germany in July 2019 for a fee of £22.5 million.

His first full season with the team was a disappointment as he made just one Bundesliga start during a campaign disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.

He then spent two seasons back on loan in the Premier League, first with Fulham and then Leicester City, before switching to Atalanta where his fortunes were transformed.

The Star