Ademola Lookman: Atalanta reject Atletico Madrid's bid for Super Eagles star

Atletico Madrid have reportedly had their bid for Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman rejected, with the Serie A side sticking to their demands.

The 28-year-old has been linked with an exit from La Dea over the last few windows but a move never materialised as Atalanta have proved to be tough negotiators. 

Fenerbahçe have led the race for Lookman’s signature for most of the window, pressing further than their Turkish rival Galatasaray. After weeks of talks and rejected informal bids, they finally reached verbal agreement with Atalanta.

The Yellow Canaries were prepared to match Atalanta’s 40 million ask (35 million guaranteed and 5 million in add-ons). However, the payment structure was a sticking point.

Looking to exploit the delay, Atlético Madrid made several calls to Atalanta as they looked to snatch the deal from Fenerbahçe. Despite their history of business in this window—the transfer of Giacomo Raspadori—the Rojiblancos bid was unsuccessful.

According to Yago Sabuncuoglu, Atletico Madrid had their bid summarily rejected, as it fell short of Atalanta’s unflinching demands of a package worth 40 million.

MD, per Football Espana, revealed that the LALIGA giants’ bid was worth 30 million, significantly short of La Dea’s ask. Lookman is believed to prefer a move to Spain and is waiting to see if Atletico will reach an agreement with Atalanta.