Duro Ikhazuagbe
After resting well from a hectic season for both country and club, Ademola Lookman yesterday returned to pre-season training with Spanish La Liga side, Atletico Madrid.
The return of the 2024 African Player of the Year to Atletico has now doused speculations about his future in the La Liga club.
Lookman was spotted yesterday kicking of his pre-season training with Diego Simeone side after taking time out from Super Eagles friendlies with Poland and Portugal as well as the four-nation Unity Cup invitational tournament in London.
With Nigeria’s Super Eagles conspicuously missing from the ongoing FIFA World Cup in North America, Lookman and some of his international teammates went on extended holidays to ease off tensions from last season and the AFCON 2024 where Nigeria finished with the bronze last January in Morocco.
Atletico will open their 2026/27 Spanish La Liga campaign against newly promoted Malaga on August 16 at their Estadio Metropolitano fortress. They will also be involved in the UEFA Champions League having finished fourth on the LaLiga final table last season.
Since crossing from Atalanta in the Italian Serie A to Spain in a January winter transfer window, this will be Lookman’s first full campaign in Madrid.
He will be looking to improve on last season, where he contributed nine goals and four assists in 24 appearances across all competitions.
Already, Atletico have lined up some interesting pre-season friendlies against Manchester United and Manchester City at the start of August.
With most of Atleti’s top stars aware at the World Cup and may need few days rests before joining up with the rest of the team, Lookman will be needed to prove his worth against these top English Premier League sides.
Elsewhere in England, Lookman’s Super Eagles teammate, Tolu Arokodare, was left out of Wolves pre-season training.
Top Transfer Expert, Fabrizio Romano, reported yesterday that Arokodare was not listed by the English club for pre-season training.
This is giving credence to speculations that Arokodare may end up with either Italian Fiorentina or Trabzonspor in the Turkish Super Lig. Wolves dropped out of the Premier League after a poor season .
