Atalanta CEO Luca Percassi insists Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman must be ready to give everything for La Dea again before he can be reintegrated into the team after trying to force his way out over the summer, Footynaija.com reports.
Lookman was widely expected to return to Atalanta training following the international break but head coach Ivan Juric soon poured cold water on such expectations, revealing that the Nigeria international would not be involved in their Serie A game against Lecce as he “was not ready.”
Juric said he needed “spirit, humility and passion for the shirt” from his players, suggesting the summer transfer row between Lookman and the club was far from blowing over.
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The former RB Leipzig man is yet to see a minute of club action this season, with his first taste of on-field coming over the international break where he featured in both of Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying games against Rwanda and South Africa.
Luca Percassi’s message to Ademola Lookman
With an exit from Bergamo now looking highly unlikely, club director Percassi told DAZN that Lookman must show willingness to fight for Atalanta again before he can be reintegrated into Juric’s squad.
“I don’t have much to add to what the coach already said. Obviously, we are in total agreement with his comments,” Percassi said in quotes revealed by Football Italia.
“We know how important Lookman is for Atalanta, but the club has some very basic principles, which need players who are ready to give 100 per cent for this jersey and totally concentrated on our cause, because every game is difficult.
“The history of this club is a battling spirit, and the coach fully embodies that idea, which is why we chose him. This is what the fans expect too, regardless of the quality of the individual players. We know every match is difficult, but our fans have always cheered us on, and we’ve got to inspire them.”
The coming weeks will reveal whether Lookman and Atalanta will be able to cast aside their differences and continue what has been a very productive and rewarding association for both parties.
