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Atalanta boss Ivan Juric has accused those around Ademola Lookman of steering the forward in the wrong direction after his failed attempt to force through a summer move to Inter Milan, Footynaija.com reports.
The Nigeria international formally handed in a transfer request in August and went absent from training when Atalanta rejected Inter’s €45m offer.
Bayern Munich were also interested, but the Bergamo club refused to sanction his departure despite an earlier understanding that he could leave.
Frozen out of the squad for weeks, Lookman only rejoined training last week and made his first appearance of the season on Sunday, coming on in the closing stages of Atalanta’s 3-0 win at Torino.
Juric revealed the 27-year-old apologised to his teammates and admitted he had been misled by his close confidants.
“He (Lookman) spoke to me and the team on Monday, he was surrounded by people who had given him some bad advice,” Juric told football-italia. “He has a great winning mentality and now we need to get him back in shape physically.”
Lookman’s strike action and open desire to leave had placed his relationship with the club on a knife edge. Juric himself had questioned the winger’s mentality before the Lecce match earlier this month.
But with Atalanta unbeaten and facing Juventus at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday, Juric appears ready to reintegrate Lookman. The former RB Leipzig star must now prove his fitness and rebuild trust if he is to reclaim his starting spot.
