Ademola Lookman has his heart set on joining Inter despite being offered to Arsenal by Atalanta, according to Italian media.
The Nigeria international continues to be absent from training as he looks to force a transfer away from Bergamo. Lookman believes that Atalanta are reneging on a promise to let him leave by blocking a move to Inter.
The Nerazzurri have submitted several bids for the 27-year-old, but Atalanta have no intention of selling him to a direct rival on the cheap, insisting that the agreement with the player to allow him to pursue a move away is only valid for elite non-Italian clubs.
Lookman is understandably outraged by this decision and recently aired his frustration on social media. He announced that he had handed in a formal transfer request, but Atalanta are still not budging.
Inter are expected to return with yet another offer in the region of €50 million, but it remains to be seen if La Dea will give in. Meanwhile, Lookman has essentially gone AWOL and is currently keeping himself fit individually in Portugal.
On Friday, reports out of Italy emerged suggesting that Atalanta had begun exploring potential avenues to solve the current impasse. Given their reluctance to sell to a Serie A rival, the Bergamo club reportedly offered Lookman to Premier League clubs, including Arsenal.
It was thought that a return to the English capital could hold appeal for the London-born attacker, but Gazzetta dello Sport now reports that the ex-Fulham man has no intention of moving to the Premier League as things stand.
Lookman has an ‘ironclad pact’ with Inter, and he is not willing to give up on his dream move to Milan just yet. The next few days are expected to be ‘quite tense’ as the situation becomes increasingly shambolic.
Atalanta are ready to hand Lookman a hefty fine for his no-show, but the player doesn’t care: he has no intention of ever returning to the club’s facilities. Recent reports have even suggested that he has already cleared out his locker at Atalanta’s training ground.
