Ademola Lookman: Why Simeone is refusing to give up on Super Eagles star

Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman has been poor this season, a situation Atlético Madrid manager Diego Simeone has admitted, but the Argentine believes it’s temporary.

The 28-year-old arrived the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in February after establishing himself as one of Europe’s most dangerous forwards at Atalanta.

However, the Nigerian has found consistency harder to come by this season, with Simeone acknowledging that the player is not currently performing as he would like.

“Lookman is not where he wants to be, and where we want to see him, but he works every day to find that player,” Simeone said ahead of Atlético’s Champions League meeting with Manchester United.

The assessment was honest about Lookman’s struggles, but it was not a declaration of lost faith.

Instead, Simeone stressed the importance of the Nigerian continuing to work and attempting the actions that made him finish 14th in the 2024 Ballon d’Or rankings.

Why Simeone hasn’t given up on Ademola Lookman

1. Lookman’s Atalanta achievements show what he can offer

Lookman’s time at Atalanta provides a compelling reason for Atlético to keep backing him.

The Nigerian scored 55 goals and provided 27 assists in 137 appearances for the Italian club.

His influence grew under Gian Piero Gasperini, whose attacking system allowed him to receive the ball in half-spaces on the left side, attack defenders and limit his decision-making to the final third, with considerably fewer defensive duties.

His defining moment came in May 2024, when he scored a hat-trick in Atalanta’s 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final.

The performance secured the club’s first major European trophy and earned Lookman the official Player of the Match award.

He also finished the 2024/25 season with 20 goals and six assists in all competitions, further demonstrating that his success in Bergamo was not a fluke or built around just one performance.

Lookman has shown he can deliver against any team last season; his goals against Real Madrid and Barcelona prove that, and a difficult spell does not erase the qualities that made him one of Atalanta’s most influential players.

As Afrik-Foot previously examined in the breakdown of Lookman’s Atlético Madrid struggles, the question is not whether the Nigerian has the ability to succeed in Spain, but how Atlético can get the best out of him.

2. His dribbling gives Atlético something they don’t have

Simeone’s comments about Lookman’s dribbling may be the clearest indication of why he remains important to the team.

“He is a dribbler; we need him to be one, to lose the ball and keep trying,” the Atlético coach said in quotes revealed by AS.

The message is significant. Simeone is not asking Lookman to abandon his natural game because of his struggles. Instead, he wants the Nigerian to develop the goldfish mentality, to continue taking on opponents, even when those attempts do not always succeed.

Lookman’s ability to beat defenders was central to his success at Atalanta, where he was most effective when receiving the ball in wide areas or the left half-space before driving towards goal.

The 2024 CAF Player of the Year averaged four successful dribbles per 90 minutes in Serie A during his time at Atalanta. Those numbers highlight that he must be on the ball more.

Simeone also pointed to the contrasting form of teammate Álex Baena, who has been performing well after an injury-disrupted previous season. The coach stressed that players experience different periods of form and that Atlético must manage those moments to get the best out of the squad.

For Lookman, that means finding his confidence again without losing what made him the player he his today. His challenge now is to prove that Simeone’s faith in him is worth something.