A forward that Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank wants to sign in the January transfer window has been brutally snubbed by his manager for their Champions League game this week, according to a report, as TEAMtalk analyses why it is good news for the north London club.
Tottenham have made a strong start to the new season, with manager Frank leading the north London club to three wins in four Premier League matches. Spurs, who won the Europa League last season and will play in the Champions League in the 2025/26 campaign, are just three points behind leaders and defending Premier League champions Liverpool in third place.
While Spurs made the major signings of Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons, Joao Palhinha and Randal Kolo Muani in the summer transfer window, they remain keen on adding more quality players in January in their quest to have a successful campaign.
Ademola Lookman is a player that Tottenham were keen on signing on deadline day, with TEAMtalk’s transfer correspondent, Dean Jones, reporting on September 1 that they had asked for details about the Atalanta forward.
Atalanta were willing to sell Lookman for £43.3million (€50m, $59m), but Tottenham never made a formal offer.
Tottenham, though, are still interested in the former Everton forward, with a report last week claiming that Spurs manager Thomas Frank is ‘a big admirer’ of Lookman and is ‘quietly confident’ that the north London club will be able to get a deal done for £20m (€23m, $27m) in the January transfer window.
Lookman wanted to leave Atalanta in the summer of 2025 and abandoned training for two weeks.
The forward is still at the Serie A club after no club paid the asking price of €50m (£43.3m, $59m).
Atalanta manager Ivan Juric left Lookman out of the squad against the Serie A match against Lecce last weekend, and he has said that the 27-year-old Nigeria international will not feature against Paris Saint-Germain in Paris in the Champions League on Wednesday.
TMW quotes Juric as saying: “Lookman in Paris? I don’t think so.
“The situation is unpleasant and not a good one. He gave so much to Atalanta, and Atalanta gave so much to him.
“We need players who are ready, who want to grow and stick with it. We’ll see in the future.”
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In the build-up to the game against Lecce, Juric opened up on the situation involving Lookman and sent a warning to him.
Juric said: “A truly unpleasant and difficult situation. As a coach, I felt that we needed other things: Spirit, humility, passion for the shirt.
“We need to do better and also take responsibility. You need a sense of belonging.
“I have a very good relationship with Lookman. But, I shouldn’t have to beg him to play. It works the other way around.
“We are Atalanta and he represents the city. We need what Atalanta represents: Hard work, humility, these are different values.
“I shouldn’t have to plead to anyone. We’re all convinced that Atalanta needs strong values on a personal level.”
Lookman has been one of Atalanta’s best players over the years, with his 52 goals and 25 assists in 118 appearances demonstrating his own personal growth as a footballer as well as the impact that he has made on the Italian club.
While it remains to be seen if Atalanta will eventually re-integrate Lookman into their squad in the coming weeks, Tottenham have received a huge boost in their quest to sign him in January.
If Lookman continues to be ignored or not used from the start, if and when Juric eventually brings him back into the fold, then a bid from Spurs could sway both the forward and Atalanta.
Lookman would become a depreciating asset for Atalanta the more he does not play, and the 2023/24 Europa League winners would not want that from a business point of view.
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