Arsenal still want to sign a left winger this summer, despite already adding Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke to their ranks.
The Gunners have set out to bolster their forward line after scoring 17 goals fewer than Liverpool in the Premier League last season.
Gyokeres arrived from Sporting for £63 million, while Madueke joined from Chelsea in a controversial £52 million deal.
However, Andrea Berta still wants one more, with an upgrade on Gabriel Martinelli the priority acquisition.
Eberechi Eze is reportedly the primary target, although the Gunners aren’t putting all their eggs in one basket, as they continue to assess the various options on the market.
A potential alternative to Eze is Ademola Lookman.
Lookman has been linked with Arsenal throughout this summer, and has now started to throw his toys out of the pram in Bergamo in order to force through a move.
Submitting a transfer request last week, Lookman skipped training earlier this week, piling the pressure on Atalanta to sanction his departure.
Valued at £52 million, the Italian club may be forced to accept an offer even lower than this figure, due to his public desire to leave.
New Roma boss Gian Piero Gasperini, who managed Lookman at Atalanta over the last three years, has broken his silence on the saga surrounding the Nigerian.
Speaking to Gianluca Di Marzio, Gasperini said: “The situation with Lookman? I’m sorry. We shared so many great moments together. Now there’s a risk that he’ll only be remembered for this latest episode. I feel bad for both the guy and the club.”
It’s clear that Lookman has no intention of remaining at Atalanta, and as Gasperini alluded to, the situation could look bleak for all parties if the Serie A side don’t give in and sell the player.
This could give Arsenal the perfect opportunity to swoop in and secure him for below his true market value.
While the noise around Lookman going to Arsenal has quietened somewhat, it’s well documented that he is on Berta’s shortlist.
Thus, he can certainly be deemed a real and genuine option that the Gunners could yet still move for.
Productive in front of goal, Lookman thrives as an inside forward, attacking the box and getting shots off frequently.
While these are attributes that the North Londoners need in their team, the former Fulham man doesn’t offer some of the other skills that are perhaps more important in Mikel Arteta’s system.
Arteta’s wingers stay wide and need to be effective in one-on-one situations on the touchline to look good.
Lookman, like Martinelli, isn’t the most prolific dribbler and thus may struggle to stand out at Arsenal.
Meanwhile, Eze is a specialist dribbler, and this specific attribute makes him better suited to the Gunners than his Nigerian counterpart.
