West Ham United may have to scrap Ademola Lookman plans as Atalanta claim emerges. West Ham United may have to scrap any plans to sign Ademola Lookman in January after what Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini said about him.
The Irons have held high-level internal talks over a move for the Nigeria international ahead of the winter transfer window (GiveMeSport). West Ham have been mooted as a likelier destination for Lookman despite reported interest from Arsenal and Manchester United. However, Gasperini has expressed his desire to retain the 27-year-old’s services beyond January.
“We didn’t talk about the summer ‘stomach ache’ [when Lookman wanted to join PSG] again also because it wasn’t a good moment”, Gasperini told Gazzetta dello Sport, as quoted by CalcioMercato.com (29 October).
“But in the meantime, now, it is only important that he is so ‘in’ the team.”
West Ham United barking up the wrong tree with Ademola Lookman
While Gasperini did not entirely rule out a January transfer for Lookman, West Ham should perhaps scrap plans to sign him as they might be barking up the wrong tree.
Apart from Gasperini being determined to keep the Nigerian, European football is another reason the Hammers are unlikely to be successful with any attempt to sign him in the winter.
The reigning UEFA Europa League champions are competing in the Champions League this season after finishing fourth in Serie A last term.
Atalanta currently sit seventeenth in the Champions League table and are on course to qualify for the knockout phase, whereas West Ham have no European football to offer.
The London outfit, though, should not be disheartened as a summer transfer could be plausible as the attacker would be in the final year of his contract at Atalanta.
The club have been long-term admirers of the former Everton star (The Mirror, 24 May) and there is no harm in waiting a few more months to sign him. In other West Ham news, the Irons’ attempt to sign Jean-Clair Todibo permanently hinges on this one condition.
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