Ademola Lookman To Debut For Atletico Madrid Against Real Betiis After Completing Transfer

 

Ademola Lookman is set to get his first starting lineup with his new club, Atletico Madrid in their match against Real Betis in the Coppa del Rey quarterfinals on Friday.

Earlier this week, the striker left Atalanta to sign a four-and-a-half year contract worth €35 million with Atletico, despite a strong interest from Fenerbahce. The contract reportedly also includes €5 million add-ons.  

Fenerbahce launched their bid for the Nigerian striker in January, but the bid fell short of Atalanta's expectations. Eventually, it failed to materialise as the Turkiye side was considering an offer of a loan move with an option for a permanent contract, which totalled at €42 million. Conversely, the Italians were demanding a straight permanent contract for the striker. 

The relationship between Lookman and Atalanta became unpleasant when the player refused to play for the club over what he described as "broken promises". His public statement quickly attracted interest from many clubs, including Inter Milan. 

Lookman rose to fame when he scored a hat-trick in the UEFA Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen that secured the title for the club. The trophy was the club's first major title in 61 years. In the same season, he led the team with 17 goals as the top goalscorer behind Gianluca Scamacca, who led with 19 goals.