Italian Serie A side Atalanta won’t let Ademola Lookman leave the club on loan amid interest from German champions Bayern Munich, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The Nigerian and the club have been at loggerheads over a protracted summer exit, and with hours to the end of the 2025/26 summer transfer window, the club insist Lookman will only leave the club on a permanent basis for the right money.
Bayern Munich are the latest club to inquire about the 27-year-old after talks with Inter Milan collapsed. Lookman has also been linked with a move to some Premier League clubs amid the transfer saga.
“Bayern Munich approach Atalanta for Ademola Lookman. Proposal loan including a sizeable fee plus option to buy at a significant price,” Athletic reporter David Orstein wrote.
However, Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano and his Nigerian counterpart, Onyebuchi Onokala, say the deal is likely not going to see the light of day due to Atalanta’s stance.
“Atalanta maintain their position for Ademola Lookman: no intention to let the player leave on loan with buy option. Bayern, Tottenham, and Italian clubs are all informed of a permanent deal proposal needed or guaranteed obligation to buy,” Romano wrote.
Bayern Munich enquire for Ademola Lookman. Loan + buy option, and Atalanta would not negotiate. They have no plans to let the player leave on loan with a buy option,” Onokala also affirmed.
The reported fee of €28m for the option to buy is also considered far too low, as his value is €50m.
There might be hope yet for Atalanta and Lookman, because Sky Sports Germany claims that Tottenham Hotspur and Galatasaray are also interested, and they could be prepared to buy him outright.
Atalanta promised Lookman he could be sold this summer, but only to a club outside of Italy, so they turned down the €42m plus €3m bonus proposal put forward by Inter.
He has been training separately ever since returning from a couple of weeks where he went AWOL in protest, and he has been left out of their two league games this season.
Lookman scored 20 goals and provided seven assists last season and won the 2024 CAF Player of the Year award.
