Premier League clubs have been handed a huge boost in the race to sign Ademola Lookman this summer as Atalanta prefer to sell overseas.
The Nigerian attacker, who scored a hat-trick in last season’s Europa League final, is poised to pursue a new challenge at the end of the season.
It comes after Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini recently claimed Lookman was one of the “worst penalty takers” he has “ever seen” after he recently missed from the spot in the shock 3-1 Champions League play-off defeat to Club Brugge.
Atalanta co-owner Stephen Pagliuca has since sided with Lookman after the rift, claiming Gasperini’s comments were somewhat unfair.
Pagliuca said: “He made a mistake by speaking about an individual. At Atalanta, with the Percassi family, we have a policy: if things go wrong, we take responsibility. We look at ourselves and how to improve.”
Ex-Everton, Fulham and Leicester winger Lookman came close to leaving the Italian club last summer when he reached a verbal agreement on personal terms with PSG.
However, the French giants failed to strike a deal and have since cooled their interest in the 27-year-old after signing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia from Napoli in January.
Juventus are thought to be keen on Lookman but Atalanta are reluctant to strengthen a direct rival. Selling much-loved midfielder Teun Koopmeiners to Turin last summer brought them notable pain and now they’re battling the Old Lady for a Champions League qualification spot.
