Atalanta Set to Part Ways with Superstar Forward After Another Fallout | OneFootball

Ademola Lookman’s future at Atalanta looks sealed after the Nigerian’s fallout with long-serving boss Gian Piero Gasperini. According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the 27-year-old’s summer exit has become a distinct possibility after Atalanta’s embarrassing Champions League exit.

Following a 2-1 defeat in the first leg of their knockout playoff tie against Club Brugge, Atalanta slumped to a shock 3-1 home loss on Thursday. Ademola Lookman scored off the bench to pull one back for La Dea after a horrendous 3-0 halftime score.

It took Lookman only 34 seconds on the field to find the net. Interestingly, his goal is the quickest ever scored by a substitute in the second half of a match in the competition’s history. But 15 minutes after scoring, the ex-Leicester City side missed a crucial penalty.

Furthermore, he took the ball away from first-choice options Charles De Ketelaere and Mateo Retegui, only for Simon Mignolet to thwart his shot. Lookman’s miss prompted harsh criticism from Gasperini after the match, as the Atalanta coach called him ‘the worst penalty taker I’ve ever seen.’

Gasperini’s words could prove the straw to break the camel’s back and accelerate Lookman’s long-anticipated exit. Lookman was close to leaving Atalanta late in the summer transfer window. However, his move to Paris Saint-Germain collapsed at the 11th hour.

The latest incident can only strengthen the diminutive forward’s ambition to leave. All former Atalanta players who had fallen out of favor with Gasperini would leave the club on short notice. That trend seems likely to continue.