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.
Chelsea player Enzo Fernández is in discussions to join Manchester City. This information was revealed by Fabrizio Romano, who shared that the two clubs are discussing a potential deal.
He wrote: “Enzo Fernández has a verbal agreement with Manchester City on personal terms.
“Deal depends on club-to-club decision, as #MCFC have not sent an official bid yet, but contacts will take place soon; decision on price is up to Chelsea.
“Enzo could be out again this weekend.”
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca mentions his captains for the team. He mentions Rúben Dias and Erling Haaland.
He shared “We have experienced players. For sure, we have leaders. Now we need to wait four or five more days until the transfer window closes to see if we can add one or two more captains to Ruben [Dias] and Erling , who at the moment are the two captains.”
Maresca confirmed the pair as part of his leadership group ahead of the 2026/27 season, with two more captains expected to be selected after the transfer window closes.
Chelsea manager speaks on the team and shares thoughts on considering a change in goalkeepers, giving another goalkeeper, Mike Penders, a chance.
“Penders is part of the squad, so he has an opportunity. We will decide and then I am giving the team tomorrow to the players, so I prefer to respect that they know first.”
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