Ademola Lookman sets new Nigeria record missed by Kanu, Okocha, Finidi

Ademola Lookman has set a new Nigeria record following Atletico Madrid’s confirmation that they have signed the Super Eagles forward from Atalanta, Afrik-Foot reports.

Atletico announced on transfer deadline day that they had reached an agreement with Atalanta, with the Super Eagles forward signing a contract that runs until June 2030. The deal is reportedly valued at €40 million, made up of €35 million plus €5 million in add-ons, while Lookman is expected to earn around €10 million across the four-year agreement.

The 28-year-old has already linked up with his new teammates and joined training ahead of Atletico’s Copa del Rey clash with Real Betis, with the sides also set to meet again in La Liga days later.

Beyond the size of the transfer, Lookman’s move carries historic significance. He becomes the first Nigerian footballer to have played in the Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A and La Liga, a feat that had eluded some of the country’s most celebrated legends.

A record that sets Ademola Lookman apart from Nigeria’s greats

Only 21 players in football history have featured across Europe’s four major leagues, with just three – Christian Poulsen, Justin Kluivert and Stevan Jovetic – managing appearances in all of the ‘big five’, which also includes France’s Ligue 1.

Nigerian greats such as Nwankwo Kanu, Jay-Jay Okocha and Finidi George each came close but fell short of the full set. Kanu starred in the Premier League and Serie A but never played in Germany or Spain. Finidi featured in England and Spain but did not add Italy or Germany to his résumé, while Okocha shone in the Premier League, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 without spells in La Liga or Serie A.

Other icons including Sunday Oliseh, Rashidi Yekini, Emmanuel Amuneke and Yakubu Aiyegbeni also never completed the quartet.

Lookman’s journey has been both varied and prolific. Since moving to Serie A in 2022, he has scored 55 goals and provided 27 assists, highlighted by a memorable hat-trick in the 2024 Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen that delivered Atalanta’s first European trophy.

That same year, he was named African Footballer of the Year and finished 14th in the Ballon d’Or rankings, the only African player on the shortlist.

Born in London, Lookman began his professional career at Charlton Athletic before spells at Everton, RB Leipzig, Fulham and Leicester City. After representing England at youth level, including winning the 2017 Under-20 World Cup, he switched allegiance to Nigeria and made his senior debut in 2022.

Now, in Madrid, he adds a final chapter to a uniquely historic European journey.