Lookman Joins Atletico Madrid After Bayern Deal Falls Through

Ademola Lookman, the Nigerian forward, was close to completing a move to Bayern Munich last summer, but the deal was scuppered by internal decisions at the German club. Lookman had an impressive season with Atalanta, scoring 15 goals and providing five assists, which caught the attention of Bayern's management.

Bayern's sports director, Max Eberl, had secured an agreement for Lookman, but the transfer stalled when Bayern's leadership, led by influential figure Uli Hoeneß, refused to approve the required transfer fee of approximately €50 million demanded by Atalanta. Consequently, Bayern ended their pursuit of Lookman.

Instead, Bayern secured the services of Nicolas Jackson on loan from Chelsea FC for €16.5 million. Following this, Lookman experienced a dip in form during the AFCON 2025 tournament but eventually signed with Atletico Madrid for €35 million, where he quickly established himself as an important player in Diego Simeone's attacking setup, scoring four goals and providing two assists since joining.