Ademola Lookman: The real 'not money' reason why Inter failed to match Atalanta's demand for Super Eagles ace

Ademola Lookman had his sights set on joining Inter this summer. He pulled all the stops to make it happen, including rejecting a bigger offer from Napoli and going on strike to force the move. 

Despite Lookman’s scorched-earth tactic and incredible gesture, Inter did not show the same gusto towards signing him, refusing to match Atalanta's bid, and going cold for two weeks before informing the Nigerian they were no longer interested. 

According to Fcinter1908, while the Nerazurri hierarchy liked Lookman, he was not their primary target for the summer. 

Inter excelled with a certain system under Simone Inzaghi in the past few years, but with the arrival of Chivu, a new manager, the team had new requirements, namely, a combative midfielder with a domineering physical presence. 

The report suggests that Inter viewed Lookman as a market opportunity, and given that he was not a necessity, they were unwilling to go the extra mile.

Their main target for the window, whom they were willing to go all out for, was Roma’s Manu Kone, whom they stepped up their pursuit for after Atalanta rejected their second bid for Lookman. 

Oaktree, the investment group backing Inter, sanctioning the €40 million required to sign Kone, was a clear indication of intent and direction. 

When Inter failed to land Kone, they brought in another player of a similar profile, Andy Diouf, signalling necessity. They did not sign any forward after backing out of the Lookman deal.