Atletico Madrid have completed the signing of Nigeria forward Ademola Lookman from Atalanta in a deal worth £30.3 million, securing the attacker on a contract that runs until June 2030.
The Spanish club confirmed the transfer on Monday, just hours before the close of the 2026 winter transfer window, after reaching an agreement with the Serie A side. Lookman arrived in Madrid on Sunday to complete medical checks before finalising the move.
The 28-year-old becomes the first English-born footballer to have featured in the Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A and La Liga. Only 21 players have achieved that feat, while just three have played across all five major European leagues.
Lookman leaves Atalanta after a prolific spell that cemented his status among Africa’s elite players. Since joining the Bergamo club in 2022 from RB Leipzig, he scored 55 goals and provided 27 assists across all competitions.
His defining moment came in May 2024 when he scored a historic hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final, securing Atalanta’s first-ever European trophy. That performance crowned a remarkable season in which he was named African Footballer of the Year and finished 14th in the Ballon d’Or rankings, the only African on the shortlist.
The transfer makes Lookman the second-most expensive Nigerian footballer of all time, behind Victor Osimhen. Atletico had moved swiftly after Lookman fell out with Atalanta amid prolonged transfer tensions.
In August 2025, the forward deleted all Atalanta-related posts from his social media accounts as speculation over his future intensified. Atalanta had rejected a €42 million bid plus add-ons from Inter Milan, insisting on a €60 million valuation despite reported personal terms being agreed.
Lookman also refused to rejoin pre-season training until mid-September during the standoff.
Born in London, Lookman began his career at Charlton Athletic before moving to Everton in 2017, where he scored on his Premier League debut. He later enjoyed spells with RB Leipzig, Fulham and Leicester City before flourishing in Italy.
Internationally, he represented England at youth level and won the 2017 Under-20 World Cup before switching allegiance to Nigeria in 2022.
Atletico Madrid, currently third in La Liga and ten points behind leaders Barcelona, will hope Lookman’s pace, directness and goal threat can strengthen their title push in the second half of the season.
