West Ham United have been heavily linked with a move to sign Ademola Lookman from Atalanta this summer.
The 26-year-old Wandsworth-born attacker first emerged as a West Ham target last week (The Mirror), and the Hammers fans will remember him most for his failed ‘Panenka’ penalty against us in 2020.
Ademola Lookman would be a brilliant signing for West Ham – he proved his undeniable quality with a sensational hat-trick in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen last month.
Since leaving Charlton Athletic back in 2017, the pacy winger has endured somewhat of a journeyman career.
He spent time with Everton, RB Leipzig, Fulham and Leicester City before joining Atalanta in 2022.
Lookman has enjoyed the best spell of his career with the Italian outfit, bagging 32 goals and 18 assists in 78 games (Transfermarkt).
Now he could be set for an exit from Atalanta, but could Julen Lopetegui really bring him to the London Stadium?
Ademola Lookman makes specific demand amidst West Ham links
The former Charlton and Everton forward is incredibly flexible, and can play anywhere across the front-line.
He has been at his most dangerous throughout his career when playing wide on the left and cutting inside onto his extremely dangerous right foot.
Lookman is a hero amongst the Atalanta fans, after his heroics in the Europa League final, but his future may well lie away from Gewiss Stadium now.
Florian Plettenberg claims that the Serie A side could sell the fleet-footed forward for just £21 million this summer.
That sounds like unbelievably good value, and I would love him to join the Hammers. However, there is a very big problem indeed.
It is claimed by Plettenberg that the ex-Charlton man only wants to move to a ‘top club’ this summer.
That rules West Ham out doesn’t it. The fact that Atlanta will be playing in the Champions League next season surely means that Lookman will not entertain a move to a team who aren’t playing in Europe’s premier competition.
That’s a real shame because Lookman would add some much needed pace, directness and genuine output to our play inside the final third.
I can’t see the 26-year-old joining West Ham this summer unfortunately though. If he comes back to England, it will be to join a top four club.
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