Atalanta head coach, Raffaele Palladino, has confirmed that Nigerian winger Ademola Lookman personally asked to leave the club before completing his transfer to Atletico Madrid. The Serie A side agreed to sell the attacker to the Spanish giants for a reported fee of €40 million earlier this week.

Palladino explained that Atalanta were initially interested in keeping Lookman until the end of the season, as he remained a key part of the squad. However, the situation changed when Atletico Madrid submitted an offer that met the club’s valuation and the player expressed his desire for a new challenge.

The coach noted that the circumstances surrounding Lookman’s departure were different from previous transfer windows. Last summer, Atalanta had turned down interest from Inter Milan, a decision that reportedly led to tension and a transfer request from the player. This time, however, there were no disputes between both parties.

According to Palladino, Lookman approached the club late in the transfer window, made his intentions clear, and asked for a move to change his environment. In response, Atalanta decided to respect his wishes and sanctioned the transfer, bringing an end to his stay in Bergamo on a positive note.