Newcastle to rival United for Lookman
English Premier League side Newcastle United are set to rival Manchester United for the signature of Super Eagles forward and CAF Player of the Year Ademola Lookman, who may leave Atalanta this summer following a public spat with manager Gian Piero Gasperini, NewsNGR Sports Extra reports.
According to TEAMtalk, the Magpies have shown “strong interest” in the Nigerian international and have already dispatched scouts to watch him in action, with his versatility to play both as a winger and central striker appealing to the St. James’ Park outfit.
Lookman’s future at the Italian club has come under increased speculation after Gasperini labelled him “one of the worst penalty takers” he had ever seen following a missed spot-kick in their Champions League defeat to Club Brugge.
The 27-year-old responded by calling the remarks “deeply disrespectful” in a social media post, with the public disagreement fuelling rumours of a summer departure from Bergamo.
Despite the controversy, Lookman has maintained his excellent form, netting a brace in Sunday’s 5-0 victory over Empoli to take his tally to 17 goals and seven assists in 29 appearances across all competitions this season.
Since joining Atalanta from RB Leipzig in 2022, the former Everton player has established himself as one of Serie A’s most dangerous attackers, amassing an impressive 49 goals and 23 assists in 107 competitive matches.
The Italian club are reportedly open to selling their star player if they receive offers in the region of €65m (£53.8m), with Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Inter Milan also monitoring the situation.
Manchester United’s interest comes as they look to bolster their attacking options under new manager Ruben Amorim, while Newcastle see Lookman as a potential solution to their inconsistent form in front of goal this season.
Lookman rose to prominence internationally with his historic hat-trick in Atalanta’s Europa League final victory over Bayer Leverkusen last season, before leading Nigeria to the Africa Cup of Nations final and subsequently being crowned the continent’s best player in 2024.
