Former Shooting Stars coach Fatai Amoo has no doubts about what Ademola Lookman will bring to Atletico Madrid when he has a full pre-season under his belt, saying the Super Eagles winger is only going to get more dangerous once he properly settles in Madrid.
Fatai Amoo has watched Ademola Lookman’s first few months at Atletico Madrid closely, and what he has seen has only strengthened a conviction that many Nigerian football observers already share: the best of this version of Lookman is still ahead of him. The former Shooting Stars coach made his prediction with the calm confidence of someone who has followed the winger’s development long enough to know what he is capable of when everything clicks.
“I have no doubt that Lookman will succeed in La Liga, going by what he has done at Atalanta,” Amoo told FootballInNigeria.com.ng. “I am also not surprised with his impressive display for Atletico Madrid despite arriving in the January transfer window. He has indeed shown that he can excel in any league, and based on what he has done this season for Atletico Madrid, I believe his best will be on display when the new season commences.”
Lookman joined Atletico from Atalanta on February 1, 2026, in a deal worth a reported €35 million rising to €40 million with bonuses, signing a contract that runs until June 2030. In the weeks since, he has already scored nine goals across all competitions for the Rojiblancos, contributing in LaLiga, the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League. For a player who arrived in the middle of a season, with no pre-season preparation under Diego Simeone, those numbers represent an extraordinary start.
What Lookman Has Already Delivered At The Wanda Metropolitano
The impact was immediate. On his debut, Lookman scored and registered an assist as Atletico demolished Real Betis 5-0 in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals, an announcement that set the tone for what was to come. He became the first Atletico signing of the winter window to make an immediate goal contribution in a competitive fixture, and the home supporters at the Wanda Metropolitano responded accordingly.
His nine goals since arrival span all three competitions Atletico have been involved in this season, which underlines the point Amoo is making. This is not a player padding his numbers in one tournament. Lookman has contributed at every level of the club’s season, in league survival moments, domestic cup ties and the highest stage in European football.
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The Pre-Season Advantage Amoo Is Pointing To
Amoo’s prediction is not simply about current form. It is about trajectory. When a player of Lookman’s quality arrives mid-season, he is immediately asked to adapt to new team-mates, a new tactical system, a new training environment and a new language, all while competing at the highest level. The fact that Lookman has produced nine goals in those circumstances makes the prospect of a full pre-season under Simeone genuinely exciting.
At Atalanta, Lookman registered at least 18 goal contributions in each of his three full seasons with the Italian club. In 2024-25, the season before his move to Madrid, he scored 20 goals and added seven assists across all competitions, numbers that established him as one of Europe’s most dangerous forwards and earned him the 2024 African Footballer of the Year award. Atletico paid €35 million to bring that player to Spain. Next season, with 12 full months of familiarity with Simeone’s methods, they may finally see the version that Amoo is already anticipating.
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Lookman’s Journey To Madrid’s Red And White
The story of how Lookman ended up at Atletico is almost as dramatic as his performances since arriving. Born in Wandsworth, London, to Nigerian parents, he came through the Charlton Athletic academy before moves to Everton, RB Leipzig, Fulham and Leicester City shaped him into a technically complete, two-footed winger who could operate across the frontline.
It was at Atalanta, however, that Lookman found his peak. The goal that defined his time in Bergamo came on May 22, 2024, when he scored a hat-trick in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen in Dublin, becoming the first player to score three goals in a one-legged European final since Pierino Prati in 1969. That night alone would have secured his place in Nigerian football history, but he has continued building on it ever since.
His move to Atletico came after months of speculation and a frustrated attempted switch to Inter Milan that collapsed the previous summer. Atletico’s president Enrique Cerezo described Lookman as the club’s most notable signing of the winter window, noting that he had been wanted by bigger clubs but chose Madrid. Simeone reportedly held direct talks with Lookman to convince him, and the player signed with the security of a contract that runs until 2030.
The Super Eagles Perspective
For the Nigerian national team, Lookman’s continued rise at club level carries significant weight. He arrives at the 2026 World Cup in the United States this summer as one of Nigeria’s premier attacking threats, a player who has scored in Champions League knockout rounds, won a Europa League, claimed the continent’s top individual honour and now produced immediate impact at one of Spain’s biggest clubs.
His Champions League contribution this season amounted to three goals and three assists in 15 appearances, numbers that place him among the more productive forwards in the competition even accounting for his late arrival in the campaign. As reported by FootballInNigeria.com.ng, Lookman has been one of the three standout Nigerian performers in LaLiga this season alongside Akor Adams at Sevilla and Umar Sadiq at Valencia, a remarkable period of Super Eagles visibility in the Spanish top flight.
Amoo’s assessment, grounded in a close reading of Lookman’s career rather than simple enthusiasm, carries the ring of someone who has watched the winger grow from a Nigerian football perspective. If the half-season tally has already reached nine goals, an entire campaign in Madrid’s system could deliver something considerably more striking. Fans looking to engage with the upcoming 2026-27 LaLiga season can sign up using the Bet9ja promotion code guide before the new campaign begins.
📌 Did You Know?
- Ademola Lookman scored a hat-trick in the 2024 UEFA Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen in Dublin, becoming the first player to achieve that feat in a one-legged Men’s European final since Pierino Prati scored three in 1969. Atalanta won the match 3-0.
- Lookman was named the 2024 African Footballer of the Year, becoming only the seventh Nigerian international to win that prestigious award. Previous Nigerian winners include Jay-Jay Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu and Riyad Mahrez’s predecessor in the rankings.
- He joined Atletico Madrid on a contract running until June 30, 2030, meaning he will be 32 years old when his current deal expires, giving the Spanish club security over one of their key attacking assets for several peak years.
- Lookman was born in Wandsworth, London, and represented England at under-19 and under-21 level before switching his international allegiance to Nigeria, for whom he made his senior debut in 2022.
- Fatai Amoo, the coach who made the prediction about Lookman, has strong roots in Nigerian domestic football having managed Shooting Stars, one of the country’s most storied clubs, during a significant period of the club’s recent history.
- Lookman’s transfer from Atalanta to Atletico Madrid was confirmed on February 1, 2026, making him the last significant winter window arrival at the club. Atletico president Enrique Cerezo stated that Lookman had received offers from bigger clubs but chose Atletico after personal talks with Diego Simeone.
- Before his Atletico debut, Lookman had scored three goals in 19 appearances for Atalanta during the 2025-26 season, a return far below his standards that reflected a difficult six months following his failed summer move to Inter Milan. His form at AFCON 2025, where he scored three goals and provided four assists for Nigeria, helped him rebuild confidence ahead of the January switch.
