Ademola Lookman: 4 Super Eagles records Atletico Madrid star can break in La Liga

Super Eagles attacker Ademola Lookman just joined Atletico Madrid from Atalanta in a deal worth €35 million in the January transfer window, but he has quickly become an important team member at the club Afrik-Foot reports.

Recall that initially, he was expected to move to Inter Milan last summer, but the deal did not work out due to their failure to striker a deal with Atalanta. That allowed Atleti to swoop in over the winter transfer window, and the deal has been a success.

Last season, Lookman registered nine goals and four assists in 24 appearances across all competitions. This season, he will be expected to do even more, as, he will be one of the leaders in the attack, following Antoine Griezmann’s move to the MLS.

Lookman heads into the 2026-27 campaign at Atlético Madrid with a genuine chance to write his name into Nigeria’s La Liga history books. In this article, we will write about four of the records he could break in the upcoming season.

1. Ademola Lookman Could Join Nigeria’s Short List of La Liga Champions

Very few Nigerians have ever won the Spanish title. Super Eagles legend Emmanuel Amunike was part of Barcelona’s Copa Del Rey-winning in 1997, but he did not win the La Liga. The only Nigerian to have won the title was defender Samuel Okunowo also lifted the trophy with Barça in 1998-99.

Atlético finished well off the pace in 2025-26, as they finished the campaign in fourth place behind Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Real Betis.

But a full pre-season with Lookman integrated into Simeone’s plans from the start gives both club and player a real platform to challenge — and would make him the first Nigerian outfield attacker to win the title in almost three decades.

2. Breaking Into Nigeria’s All-Time Top Five La Liga Scorers

The five highest goalscoring Nigerians in La Liga Christopher Ohenhen (48 goals for Compostela), Finidi George (43 in 175 appearances for Betis and Mallorca), Ikechukwu Uche (43 in 194 appearances across six clubs), Kalu Uche (38 for Almería, Espanyol and Levante), and Mutiu Adepoju (22 for Real Sociedad and Racing Santander).

Lookman managed four league goals in his half-season at Atlético after arriving in February. This season, he is expected to get more minutes at Atleti and even become the key player in attack, so there is a possibility that he will crack Mutiu’s record and enter the top five.

3. Winning The La Liga African MVP Award

The La Liga African Player of the Season award is currently held by Villarreal’s Pape Gueye. But it has previously been won by fellow Nigerian Samuel Chukwueze in 2022-23.

With a full season to make his case for Atlético rather than the half-season cameo he had in 2025-26 — during which he still contributed in the Copa del Rey and Champions League as well as the league — Lookman is well placed to be among this year’s contenders.

4. The Highest-Scoring Nigerian In a Single La Liga Season

This record belongs to Christopher Ohenhen, who scored 17 goals in the 1996-97 season for Compostela, which is part of his 48-goal La Liga career.

It is the standard that has stood for nearly three decades. The closest that anyone has come since is Ikechukwu Uche’s 14-goal season for Villarreal in 2013-14.

Lookman’s four league goals from half a season gives him a baseline, which means that he could do more. So, a full campaign under Simeone would need to be exceptional for him to seriously threaten Ohenhen’s mark, but it remains the benchmark any prolific Nigerian La Liga season gets measured against.