Former Italian footballer Ciro Ferrara has sparked fresh debate regarding Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman, suggesting that the winger would have faced difficulty securing a starting position at Inter Milan had his much-discussed summer transfer gone through.
Ferrara, speaking to lnerazzurro, stated: “Lookman would have been on the bench at Inter. To insert him, you would have had to change a lot, starting with the formation.” He added, “Even though he is an important player, changing a well-established tactical setup to accommodate him would have been difficult.”
The saga surrounding Lookman’s potential move to Inter Milan dominated headlines during the summer transfer window. The Nigerian international, eager to leave Atalanta, voiced his desire to move to the Serie A giants, even going as far as to boycott training for more than a week. Despite Inter agreeing on personal terms with Lookman, including a five-year deal, Atalanta’s CEO, Antonio Percassi, refused to approve the transfer, citing the club’s policy of not selling to a Serie A rival.
The rejected €45m offer from Inter Milan eventually led the Nerazzurri to abandon the negotiations altogether. Lookman, unhappy with Atalanta’s refusal, accused the club of going back on their word and embarked on a two-week strike, skipping training and wiping all Atalanta-related content from his social media accounts.
Although Lookman is still with Atalanta, his performances this season have yet to meet expectations. The 25-year-old forward has made three appearances but has not scored or provided any assists. He earned his first Serie A start of the season against Como, but his performance left much to be desired, with Lookman being substituted in the 73rd minute.
In Ferrara’s view, the move to Inter might not have been the right fit for Lookman, despite his talent.
