Manchester City could reportedly enter the race for a Nigerian superstar if they lose an attacker who’s being courted by a Premier League rival this summer.
City still have some big moves in the works in the latter stages of the summer window. They did a lot of work early, signing Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Rayan Cherki and Marcus Bettinelli, before adding Sverre Nypan and James Trafford.
But there are still links with big names such as Gianluigi Donnarumma and Marc Guehi.
Ademola Lookman can now be added to that list, as Caught Offside reports they ‘could enter the race’ for the Atalanta forward if Savinho departs.
Lookman feels betrayed by Atalanta after being told he could leave, but while he agreed personal terms with Inter Milan, his club blocked the move due to complications with sourcing a replacement.
The strained relationship between Atalanta and Lookman has sparked the interest of many more big sides, with Arsenal and Chelsea giving competition to City.
But whether the Citizens need to push for the move remains to be seen.
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Will Savinho leave?
TEAMtalk revealed on Sunday that though Premier League rivals Tottenham were willing to spend big on landing Savinho from City, members of the board feel the deal will be ‘impossible‘.
Whether City need to replace the winger, then, remains to be seen, and TEAMtalk is aware Rodrygo is also in their sights for if Savinho departs.
Meanwhile, Tottenham might have accepted defeat on Savinho, as they, too, are interested in Lookman, TEAMtalk sources have revealed.
Contact has been initiated to gauge if a deal is possible, so there are multiple things not yet in place for City to have to go after the Atalanta man.
Man City round-up: Guehi move not likely
After it was suggested that City could hijack Liverpool for Guehi, Fabrizio Romano has essentially stated that will not happen.
He said: “But Guehi has [a] clear intention to not sign any new deal and to try a new chapter. And that new chapter for Guehi is Liverpool.”
Romano has suggested that talks over the move for Donnarumma to City are progressing, and an agreement is expected soon.
Meanwhile, Perry Groves has told City their “cycle” is over, and they are not in the race for this season’s Premier League title.
Ademola Lookman timeline
August 4, 2022: Joins Atalanta from RB Leipzig for a €15m fee after Leicester neglected their option to buy him.
August 13, 2022: Scores on his Atalanta debut in a win over Sampdoria, being deployed as a supporting striker – a role he would soon make his own.
January 2023: Scores braces in three consecutive matches (two of which were in Serie A and one in the Coppa Italia).
July 2023: Wins the Atalanta Player of the Season award after scoring 15 goals from 33 games in his debut campaign.
January-February 2024: Plays a crucial role in helping Nigeria to the Africa Cup of Nations final, being their only scorer in the round of 16 and quarter-final wins.
May 22, 2024: Scores a hat-trick in the Europa League final to earn Atalanta their first ever European trophy.
June 2024: Claims the Atalanta player of the season accolade for the second time in a row.
September 4, 2024: Becomes the first ever Atalanta player to be named on the Ballon d’Or shortlist (the following month, he would come 14th in the voting).
October 26, 2024: Scores a brace and provides two assists in the same match in a 6-1 win over Hellas Verona.
December 6, 2024: Scores the winner against AC Milan to put Atalanta top of Serie A.
December 10, 2024: Scores against Real Madrid in the Champions League.
January 21, 2025: Gets his fourth goal of the Champions League’s league phase.
February 23, 2025: Bounces back from disparaging comments from Gian Piero Gasperini to score a brace against Empoli on his first appearance since the manager’s remarks.
May 2025: Finishes his third season at Atalanta with 40 appearances and 20 goals, setting a new personal best goal tally for the third season in a row.
August 2025: Submits a formal transfer request to Atalanta, accusing them of broken promises.