Ademola Lookman gives Atalanta coach reason to worry as transfer window winds down

Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini is facing a challenging start to the new season as key players, including Ademola Lookman, are pushing for moves away from the club.

Lookman, who played a significant role for Atalanta last season, reportedly requested to be left out of the squad for the opening Serie A match against Leece due to Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) interest. Meanwhile, Teun Koopmeiners is attempting to force a transfer to Juventus.

Gasperini expressed his candid thoughts after Atalanta’s 4-0 victory over Leece, stating that the current situation was unexpected.

“In all honesty, nobody expected to find ourselves in this situation. At this moment, I am having to take it one day at a time.”

The manager is dealing with not only the uncertainty surrounding Lookman and Koopmeiners but also Scamacca’s injury. Gasperini expressed his focus on assembling the best squad possible, saying, “My job is to see with the club what could be useful to add. Clearly, we’ll not have a defined squad until August 31.”

PSG, who have shifted their focus from Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, now see Lookman as a potential replacement for Kylian Mbappé. Atalanta has reportedly set a price of 45-50 million euros for Lookman, and while no official bid has been made yet, experts believe a deal could be reached soon.