Gian Piero Gasperini recently addressed the future of forward Ademola Lookman, who was linked with a potential move to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) during the final weeks of the summer transfer window, Europa Calcio reports.
Lookman, who made headlines by attending the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris on Monday, placed fourteenth among the 30 shortlisted players. Despite not taking home an award, he achieved a historic milestone as the first Atalanta player to ever be nominated for the prestigious individual accolade.
Gasperini expressed his hope that interest in Lookman will not reignite when the January transfer window opens.
“There were temptations in the summer, especially from PSG. But, honestly, that wasn’t a good time. Who knows, these discussions might resurface – hopefully not in January. Right now, all that matters is that he’s fully committed to the team.”
The 27-year-old Nigerian international earned his nomination following a standout performance in the Europa League final, where he scored a remarkable hat-trick to lead Atalanta to a 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen, which featured Victor Boniface and Nathan Tella.
Related article: Lookman’s Stellar Performance at Atalanta: Salary, Transfer Value, and Prospects
His achievements have also positioned him as a frontrunner for the African Footballer of the Year title, especially notable given the absence of prominent African stars like Mohammed Kudus, Mohamed Salah, and Victor Osimhen from the Ballon d’Or list.
Although PSG showed interest in signing Lookman over the summer, head coach Luis Enrique ultimately opted to rely on existing squad members to cover for injured forward Gonçalo Ramos. This speculation surrounding his future kept Lookman out of Atalanta’s opening three matches of the Serie A season.
