Ademola Lookman Transfers to Atletico Madrid: A Milestone in His Career

Ademola Lookman has officially joined Atletico Madrid from Atalanta in a deal valued at £30.3 million. This transfer marks a notable milestone in his career, as he becomes the first English-born player to compete in the Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A, and La Liga.

Only 21 players have achieved the feat of playing in these top leagues, with Lookman joining an exclusive group that includes only three others—Christian Poulsen, Justin Kluivert, and Stevan Jovetic—who have participated in all of Europe’s “big five” leagues, which also encompasses France’s Ligue 1.

The London-born forward, now 28 years old, has been a standout player in Serie A since his arrival in 2022, scoring 55 goals and providing 27 assists after transferring from Bundesliga club RB Leipzig. His remarkable performance included a hat-trick in the 2024 Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen, a victory that secured Atalanta’s first European trophy.

In 2024, Lookman was honored as the African Footballer of the Year and was notably the sole African player included in the men’s Ballon d’Or shortlist, finishing in 14th place.

Having represented England at the youth level, Lookman was a part of the Under-20 World Cup-winning team in 2017 before making his senior debut for Nigeria in 2022.

Atletico Madrid, currently third in La Liga and ten points behind leaders Barcelona, announced on Monday that they had finalized the deal with Atalanta, confirming Lookman’s signing until June 2030 on transfer deadline day.

Lookman began his professional career at Charlton Athletic, making his debut in 2015, before transferring to Everton two years later, where he scored on his Premier League debut. Following a successful loan period, he permanently joined Leipzig in July 2019 and subsequently had loan spells with Fulham and Leicester City before making the move to Italy.