Sport
Inter Milan Walks Away From Signing Lookman After Atalanta Refuse to Lower Price
Inter Milan have decided to step back from the chase to sign Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman after weeks of back-and-forth talks with Atalanta failed to produce an agreement. The move, which at first looked like it was edging closer, has now fallen apart because both clubs refused to shift ground.
Inter were very keen on bringing the Nigerian international to the San Siro after his remarkable season in Italy, but their offers didn’t convince Atalanta. The Milan side reportedly put around €40 million on the table with the promise of bonuses that could push it slightly higher, but Atalanta were not interested.
They wanted a straight €50 million in cash, insisting that anything less was not worth discussing. Even when Inter improved the package to over €42 million plus add-ons, Atalanta still waved it off. The Bergamo club also refused any idea of spread payments or loan deals, demanding that if Inter truly wanted their star man, they had to pay in full and upfront.
For Lookman, the situation has been frustrating. The 26-year-old had made it clear he wanted the move, especially after shining last season with double-digit goals in Serie A and a hat-trick in the Europa League final. Reports suggest he was even willing to reduce his salary just to make the transfer possible.
Recently, Lookman deleted almost every Atalanta-related post from his social media, stayed away from pre-season training for a few days, and went as far as handing in a formal transfer request. He also accused the club of breaking earlier promises to let him leave if the right opportunity came.
Despite his actions, Atalanta’s management has not blinked.
Club chiefs stressed that Lookman is still under contract until 2027 and will only be sold on their terms. They also hinted that any move within Italy was never part of the original agreement when Lookman joined, which makes the Inter pursuit even more complicated.
Super Eagles defender Calvin Bassey has opened up about a difficult period in his career, revealing that he almost stepped away from football.
Speaking during a recent interview, Bassey shared that he once made a personal promise to himself to quit pursuing football professionally if he failed to secure a spot at a professional club.
“I remember being 15 and going into my final year, and I told myself that if I didn’t get into a professional club, I would quit football. It was that simple,” he said.
“I would just stop pursuing it seriously and only play for fun. Thank God I eventually got a club, because I honestly don’t know where I would be otherwise.”
It has been reported that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) fined Egypt $5,000 following their clash with Zimbabwe for failing to manage post-match media obligations.
It was noted that after the match, the Egyptian players ignored the media. This action was said to be a violation of CAF’s media regulations, which led to the fine being imposed.
Head of the Super Eagles, Eric Chelle, shared that the big-name players on the team are not happy about being benched.
He recalled when he took out Samuel Chukwueze during the match against Tanzania.
“Yes, of course, we’ve in this team a lot of big names. They are competitors; they aren’t happy when they go to the bench,” Chelle said at his post-match interview.”
“My job is to make choices, and we’re playing a 4-4-2 diamond, and at this moment I feel we have to protect the wing.”
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Super Eagles Star Calvin Bassey Opens Up on Nearly Walking Away from Football
