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Atalanta chief executive Luca Percassi has broken his silence on the situation surrounding Ademola Lookman, insisting the door remains open for the Nigerian forward despite the turbulence of recent weeks, Footynaija.com reports.
The Super Eagles star had been strongly linked with a switch to Inter Milan over the summer, but the deal collapsed after Atalanta stood firm on their €50 million asking price.
In the aftermath, Lookman reportedly skipped training for nearly two weeks, fuelling talk of a potential exit as he explored alternative destinations before the window closed.
Although no transfer materialised, the 27-year-old has yet to make an appearance for Atalanta this season.
The former Fulham ace has returned to training, but his omission from the squad that travelled to Paris Saint-Germain for the Champions League further raised questions about his future.
Percassi has sought to strike a balance between encouragement and expectation, stressing that Lookman’s return will depend on his mentality.
“You cannot go back and change the past so we will focus on the present and future. We all know how good Ademola is, but also that to play for Atalanta, one must be 100 percent focused. When he feels ready to do that, we are waiting for him with open arms,” Percassi said as per Football-Italia.
In Lookman’s absence, Atalanta stumbled to a crushing 4-0 defeat against PSG with the Italian side out of sorts all night in Paris.
Atalanta managed only two shots on target as goals from Marquinhos, Kvaratskhelia, Mendes and Ramos powered the Parisians to a comfortable victory.
