Atletico Madrid have completed the signing of Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman from Atalanta in a deal worth £30.3 million, the club announced on transfer deadline day.
The 28-year-old has signed a contract until June 2030. The move makes Lookman the first English-born player to have featured in the Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A, and La Liga.
Only three players—Christian Poulsen, Justin Kluivert, and Stevan Jovetic—have played in all of Europe’s “big five” leagues, which also includes France’s Ligue 1.
Lookman has been in Serie A since 2022, scoring 55 goals and providing 27 assists for Atalanta. He notably scored a hat-trick in the 2024 Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen to secure the club’s first European trophy.
In 2024, he was named African Footballer of the Year and was the only African player shortlisted for the men’s Ballon d’Or, finishing 14th.
Born in London, Lookman represented England at youth level, winning the Under-20 World Cup in 2017, before switching allegiance to Nigeria in 2022.
He began his senior career at Charlton Athletic in 2015, moved to Everton in 2017, and later joined RB Leipzig permanently in 2019 after a loan spell. He also had loan stints at Fulham and Leicester City before his successful move to Italy.
Atletico Madrid currently sit third in La Liga, ten points behind leaders Barcelona.
