Latest news with #AfricanPlayeroftheYear
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
‘Unfinished business' – Ian Wright urges Arsenal to sign former Premier League star valued at £50million
WRIGHT IDEA 'Unfinished business' – Ian Wright urges Arsenal to sign former Premier League star valued at £50million Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) IAN WRIGHT has urged former club Arsenal to buy Ademola Lookman this summer. The Gunners are seeking to bolster their attack following three consecutive runner-up finishes. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Ademola Lookman has impressed since moving to Italy Credit: Getty Lookman, 27, has had previous Premier League spells with Everton, Fulham and Leicester - with mixed fortunes. Since moving to Atalanta in 2022, the winger has gone from strength to strength - winning the Europa League and finishing 14th in the Ballon d'Or last year. Wright, 61, believes that Lookman would be well placed to improve Mikel Arteta's front line. On his Wrighty's House podcast, the former forward said: "I'm going to go with Ademola Lookman winning the African Player of the Year in respects of that man's journey. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL GUNNER GO Arsenal release 17 players as Sterling and Partey learn their fate "I remember him from Charlton, it didn't work out [the] £10million [move] to Everton, then moving all over the place, the journey from loan to this, then I think that's one of the most devastating performances I've seen in any final with that hat-trick he scored. "You know, it's just… I can't help but look at his dark moment where it would have been dark for him. You know, especially all those loans going to another country. "And you know what? He never had no problem going wherever he needed to go to find it. "And then obviously, like you say, you find your place. Like Scott McTominay's found that, like he [Lookman] found with Atalanta. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK "I hope we can buy him, Arsenal. "I would love someone like him to come back to the Premier League and say, 'listen, I have unfinished business here so I am going to help Arsenal win the league'. Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini slams Ademola Lookman for his penalty skills "But I just admire his journey and now he's recognised rightly as a top player, unbelievable." SunSport recently revealed that Lookman has admirers at Arsenal. Some Gunners chiefs, however, are concerned about his age - believing that at 27 Lookman may have already peaked. In addition to Arsenal, Liverpool are keeping tabs on the £50m-rated former Evertonian.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gasperini in talks over Atalanta extension despite Champions League warning
Atalanta head coach Gian Piero Gasperini is meeting with the club's senior management on Tuesday to discuss his future in Bergamo, despite his recent warning that qualification for the Champions League 'will be complicated'. Gasperini is still under contract with Atalanta until the summer of 2026, but has dropped several hints over the 2024-25 season that his time with La Dea could be coming to an end. Advertisement 'At the end of the season, we'll see whether to let the contract run out or stop earlier,' Gasperini said in February, while CEO Luca Percassi added that the club will 'respect his decision' either way. Despite previous hints of a possible Atalanta farewell, and links with a move to take over from Cladio Ranieri as head coach of Roma, Gasperini is discussing his future with Percassi, along with co-chair Stephan Pagliuca and sporting director Tony D'Amico on Tuesday. Gasperini in decisive meeting over Atalanta future BERGAMO, ITALY – APRIL 27: Atalanta BC coach Gian Piero Gasperini looks on befor during the Serie A match between Atalanta BC and US Lecce at Gewiss Stadium on April 27, 2025 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by) Reports from claim that the Atalanta management have offered Gasperini the chance to extend his contract for a further 12 months until the summer of 2027, which would give him two years of contract from the start of the 2025-26 season. Advertisement Tuesday's reports claim that the Atalanta executives will need to provide Gasperini with certain guarantees, particularly on the transfer market, if they are to convince him to stay and extend his contract. Gasperini has recently warned that: 'For the first time in nine years, I feel that it will be very difficult to repeat ourselves. 'A result that might seem normal, like qualifying for the Champions League, will be complicated. And this is something we need to discuss,' the head coach warned. Calciomercato claims that Gasperini is aware of the fact that Atalanta may have to let go of some of their key players during the summer transfer window, including Brazil international Ederson, the reigning African Player of the Year Ademola Lookman and even potentially 2024-25 Capocannoniere Mateo Retegui. epa12094854 Atalanta's Ademola Lookman scores the 1-0 goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Atalanta BC and AS Roma, in Bergamo, Italy, 12 May 2025. EPA-EFE/MICHELE MARAVIGLIA There are also concerns about the defensive department for next season given the long-term absences of Giorgio Scalvini and Sead Kolasinac, the farewell to Rafael Toloi and the possibility that the buy options in loan deals for Odilon Kossounou and Stefan Posch are not activated.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Atalanta have Lookman concern after training absence ahead of Roma
Nigeria international Ademola Lookman is at risk of sitting out on Atalanta's upcoming Serie A match against Claudio Ranieri's Roma after missing out on training with an injury concern on Friday, reports confirm. Lookman concerns ahead of Atalanta-Roma Lookman did not train with the rest of his teammates on the eve of the Atalanta-Roma clash due to an apparent issue with his achilles tendon. Advertisement According to reports from Gianluca Di Marzio, the 27-year-old is struggling with an inflamed achilles tendon, which forced him to miss training on Friday and also puts his availability for the Atalanta-Roma clash at the Gewiss Stadium in doubt. TURIN, ITALY – MARCH 09: Ademola Lookman of Atalanta runs with the ball inside the penalty area whilst under pressure from Timothy Weah and Michele Di Gregorio of Juventus during the Serie A match between Juventus and Atalanta at the Allianz Stadium on March 09, 2025 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by) Friday's update claims that the player will be evaluated again before the team travel to the stadium for the Roma clash on Monday night. Lookman has lined up as a starter in each of Atalanta's last 10 matches in Serie A, providing four goals across that spell. He is currently on 19 goals and seven assists across all competitions this season, all told. The last time that Atalanta went without the reigning African Player of the Year was for the 0-0 draw against Cagliari back in February. He had also missed the 5-0 win over Verona the week before and the 1-1 draw with Torino in the game before that.
Daily Mirror
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Man Utd plan Rasmus Hojlund swap deal in bid to sign ex-Premier League star
Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund's future at Old Trafford appears uncertain as the Red Devils look to replenish their forward line in the upcoming transfer window Rasmus Hojlund could be set for a stunning return to Atalanta as Manchester United consider offering the forward in a swap deal for Ademola Lookman. Hojlund arrived at Old Trafford in a £72million deal from the Serie A side in 2023. The striker has failed to hit the heights hoped for during a difficult spell for United and netted just three goals in the Premier League this term. Hojlund, 22, is said to still be highly thought of by the Italian side while reports claim that contact has remained with his representatives, and that scouts have watched recent matches. Lookman, meanwhile, may be ready to exit the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia after falling out with manager Gian Piero Gasperini. The 27-year-old inspired Atalanta to Europa League glory last term and was named African Player of the Year. The Nigeria international. who has enjoyed time with Charlton, Everton, Fulham and Leicester, has bagged 18 goals in 36 appearances this term. A penalty miss against Club Brugge saw the forward singled out by his manager however, and Lookman fired back publicly. Despite the spat, Lookman has continued to be a key part of Atalanta's side however. And his abilities appear to have piqued the interest of a United side looking to replenish their forward line. Hojlund meanwhile, currently remains United's first choice striker despite his struggles to find the net. The Denmark international has proven a greater threat in Europe and has scored five times in 12 appears as United have reached the Europa League semi-final. After a fruitless offering against Wolves at the weekend, Ruben Amorim looked to defend the striker. Though, the Portuguese coach accepted more goals are required. 'Our team should score more goals,' said Amorim. 'But it's not just Rasmus missing chances, it's all of the team. 'If you look at the game, we have several players that missed big chances, not just Rasmus. But for Rasmus, the game is to score goals, because he's a striker. "He needs to score a goal. He needs to score one - maybe that's all a striker needs. 'We have an idea of what this team needs, but also we play with three guys up front who can score goals. The midfielders and all of the team needs to score more goals. You have opportunities with the midfielders and strikers, so we need to improve as a team.'
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Papers make Lookman prediction after Gasperini's controversial penalty comments
Multiple outlets suggest that Ademola Lookman will still start for Atalanta in their Serie A match away against Empoli on Sunday evening, despite a public back-and-forth with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini following the team's exit from the Champions League earlier in the week. Lookman came on at half-time and scored immediately in the second leg of an eventual 5-2 aggregate loss to Club Brugge, but stepped up to take a penalty for which he was not the designated taker, and was not able to convert. Gasperini went on to label the Nigeria international as 'one of the worst penalty takers I've ever seen', which led Lookman to release a statement calling the comments 'hurtful and deeply disrespectful'. Read more: Why Lookman and Gasperini have fallen out Multiple former players and pundits have come out in support of the reigning African Player of the Year in the days following the statements, and Gasperini has since hinted that his time in Bergamo might be coming to an end. Despite the Atalanta fractions earlier in the week, both Sky Sport Italia and La Gazzetta dello Sport suggest that Lookman is still in line to start against Empoli alongside Charles De Ketelaere and Mateo Retegui. If that is the case, it will be the 27-year-old's first start in Serie A since the 2-1 victory over Como on January 25.
