Lookman To Miss Atalanta’s Champions League Opener Against PSG

Ademola Lookman volition miss Atalanta’s Champions League opener against Paris Saint-Germain, arsenic the Nigeria guardant remains sidelined pursuing a prolonged effort to permission the Serie A club, manager Ivan Juric confirmed connected Sunday.

Atalanta prepared for Wednesday’s clash with the European champions successful Paris by beating Lecce 4-1 without Lookman, who has not featured this play aft unsuccessfully trying to unit a determination to Inter Milan during the summer. This marks the 2nd consecutive twelvemonth successful which Lookman has sought to permission the club, having attempted to articulation PSG aft helping Atalanta triumph the Europa League successful 2024.

“I don’t deliberation so; it’s an unpleasant situation,” Juric said erstwhile asked if Lookman would question to the French capital. “He has fixed a batch to Atalanta, but Atalanta has fixed him a batch arsenic well. We request players who are ready, who privation to play for the garment and improve… Looking ahead, we’ll spot what happens.”
London-born Lookman has go 1 of Europe’s standout players since joining Atalanta 3 years ago, pursuing a mixed aboriginal vocation successful England and Germany. The 27-year-old has scored 52 goals successful 117 matches for Atalanta, famously netting a hat-trick successful past year’s Europa League last erstwhile the Bergamo nine secured their archetypal European trophy by defeating Bayer Leverkusen 3-0.

Lookman scored 20 goals successful each competitions past season, with 5 coming successful 7 Champions League appearances. However, helium strained his narration with the nine by abandoning squad training, hoping that Inter would conscionable Atalanta’s asking terms of €50 million. That did not materialise, and Lookman, whose declaration runs until the extremity of June 2027, was compelled to instrumentality to Atalanta, wherever helium has since been sidelined by Juric, who succeeded Gian Piero Gasperini.

Atalanta remains unbeaten successful their opening 3 matches this play without Lookman and presently beryllium sixth successful the table, 1 constituent down Gasperini’s caller team, Roma, who suffered a daze 1-0 location decision to Torino earlier connected Sunday. Charles De Ketelaere scored doubly successful the 2nd half, with Giorgio Scalvini and Nicola Zalewski adding Atalanta’s different goals.