Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has challenged Ademola Lookman to keep taking risks as the Super Eagles forward looks to rediscover his best form ahead of the club’s UEFA Champions League clash with Manchester United, Footynaija.com reports.
Lookman has endured a difficult start to the current campaign after making an impressive impact following his arrival from Atalanta in February. The Nigerian forward has managed just one goal in nine appearances across all competitions this season, a noticeable drop from his early performances in Madrid.
His struggles were evident in Atletico’s recent 2-1 victory over Deportivo Alaves, where he came off at half-time as Simeone made changes to his attacking setup. However, the Atletico boss has backed the 28-year-old to regain form, acknowledging that his current performances have fallen short of the level expected from him.
“Each player has their own moment. I don’t think any player is always at their best; there are injuries,” Simeone said, per AS.
“Lookman isn’t playing the way he wants to be and we want to see him, but he works every day trying to get back to that form.
“He’s a good dribbler, we need him to be, to lose the ball, to keep trying.”
Simeone’s comments underline his desire for Lookman to retain the directness and willingness to take on defenders that made him such an effective attacking option after joining Atletico.
The Nigerian enjoyed a productive introduction to life in Spain last season, scoring nine goals across competitions during the second half of the campaign.
Replicating that output has proved more difficult this term, with Lookman yet to establish the same consistency in front of goal.
The former Atalanta man will now hope to turn things around when Atletico host Manchester United at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Tuesday.
With Simeone continuing to demand his trademark dribbling and attacking aggression, the Champions League encounter offers Lookman another opportunity to work his way back towards the level that made him a key figure in Atletico’s attack.
