Ademola Lookman not biggest loser in Atalanta saga

Ademola Lookman’s turbulent summer at Atalanta has been reopened for debate by Italian transfer specialist Alfredo Pedullà, who insists the Nigerian forward was not the primary casualty of the saga.

In his view, the greater damage was borne by those around the player, whose guidance contributed to a damaging standoff rather than a smooth transfer.

The 27-year-old saw a proposed switch to Inter Milan collapse in August, sparking weeks of absence from training and disciplinary responses from Atalanta. During that period, Lookman was even spotted at a resort, a choice Pedullà called reckless and counterproductive.

Ademola Lookman transfer: Super Eagles legend points the way to 'perfect project' — Photo by IMAGO

“Who lost out? Everyone, without question,” Pedullà said, accusing Lookman’s advisers of steering him into decisions that weakened his standing. “The real defeat belongs to those who encouraged him to disappear and behave this way. They are the wrong advisers.”he said, as quoted by Inter News24.

Ademola Lookman reintegrated after PSG humiliation

Lookman is now back in first-team training, returning on Thursday at Zingonia in preparation for Atalanta’s trip to Torino on Sunday.

The timing is significant: Juric’s squad is reeling from a 4-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, a result that exposed the need for attacking options of Lookman’s caliber.

Ademola Lookman not biggest loser in Atalanta transfer saga – Transfer guru explains

Having scored 20 times across competitions last season, the forward remains one of the most important players at the club. His reintegration may not erase the frustrations of the summer, but it offers La Dea both depth and firepower as they attempt to recover from a bruising European defeat.

Pedullà, however, urged caution in seeing the reunion as a fresh start. To him, Lookman’s return in September, after weeks of “revolutionary” gestures, highlights poor decision-making rather than a reconciliatory breakthrough. The challenge now, he argued, is whether both player and club can move beyond the missteps that left their season on uncertain footing before it even began.