AFCON 2025
The former African best player, Ademola Lookman has just signed for a Madrid side, Atletico De Madrid. A deal Until June 2030, worth €35m and €5M add-ons.
After a decayed relationship between Ademola Lookman and Atalanta it was then sure that both parties will go separate ways. Ademola tried forcing his way during the summer transfers in 2025, and saw his attempts to leave the 2024 Europa league champions blocked by the club hierarchies. The relationship truly broke when Inter Milan had bids rejected in late 2025, which led to Lookman’s public statement and refusal to join the camp
However, Ademola Lookman has finally landed at the Riyadh Air Metropolitan and will be wearing the red and white of Atletico Madrid, playing under a legend Diego Simeone who has been with the club since December 2011, and he will also play alongside great players like a one time World Cup winner Julian Avarez, Koke and even Jan Oblak.
Meanwhile, the question lingers, was the deal to Atletico Madrid fueled by the soar relationship between Ademola Lookman and Atalanta, or does the Super Eagles goal poacher have abilities that the Spanish side really wants. In this article, we will look at 3 reasons why Ademola Lookman is expected to shine at Atletico Madrid
A Master of Transition Football.
We have watched time and again that Diogo Simeone plays a high transition football, relies heavily on their attackers and attacking midfielders running deep and wide in the field and exchanging positions. More reason Atletico Madrid signed a fluid Julian Avarez from Manchester City.
And Ademola Lookman is not different from this style of play, in fact, during the African Nations Cup 2025 in Morocco, you would see Lookman carrying the ball from the deep midfield to the attack causing problems to the opposition halves.
In Simeone’s system, the distance between defending deep and hitting the back of the net must be covered in seconds. Lookman’s explosive acceleration and ball-carrying metrics developed under Gian Piero Gasperini’s demanding regime in Bergamo makes him the ideal player to soar at the current Atletico Madrid. He possesses the rare ability to turn a defensive recovery into a goal-scoring opportunity with a single drop of the shoulder.
Fit Into any formation
Secondly, why Ademola Lookman will excel at Atletico Madrid is because he is a fluid player, not static, not confined to a particular pattern of the play. Lookman soars better when he is with the ball, and not when he plays a particular formation.
During the AFCON 2025, coach Eric Chelle played Ademola Lookman mostly as a free role player, playing behind Victor Osinhen and Akor Adams, controlling the tempo of the game, and giving decisive passes when needed, he ended the tournament with 3 Goals and 4 assists.
Back at Atalanta, during their Europa triumph 2024, Ademola Lookman played from the wing, and he always cut into the box and took those shots that turned into goals or assists for his side.
And this is exactly what Diogo Simeone’s side needs, a player that can adapt whether in a 4-4-2 formation, playing as a second striker behind Avarez or in a 4-3-3 formation playing as a natural winger.
Lookman understands the suffering required to play for Atlético. He is a defensive-minded attacker who isn’t afraid to track back, squeeze passing lanes, and press from the front.
Big Game Player
Ademola Lookman does not shy away from the big games, look back at the Europa league final in 2024, he scored a hattrick, he has been in fine form for the Super Eagles of Nigeria, scoring 6 goals in 2 editions of the AFCON competition.
Ademola Lookman soars when the stage is high, and with Atletico Madrid rivaling big names like Real Madrid and Barcelona an addition like Ademola Lookman will not be bad. At a club like Atlético, where silverware is often decided by a single moment of brilliance in a tense knockout match, Lookman’s composure in front of goal gives the Rojiblancos a clinical edge they have lacked in recent European campaigns.
Ademola Lookman will be looking for a fresh start in Spain, after conquering Italian Serie A . The Nigerian international played a total of 137 games for the Atalanta side across all competitions, scoring 54 goals and providing 27 assists.
Do you think Ademola Lookman will succeed at Atletico Madrid? Drop your comments in the comment box.
