After failing to sign Nico Williams of Athletic Club, Barcelona’s new coach, Hansi Flick, is said to have prioritised the recruitment of Ademola Lookman, a forward for Nigeria.
In preparation for the forthcoming football season, the Catalan giants are looking to add new players to their attacking lineup in a bid to retain the La Liga title.
Nico Williams had been strongly linked to Barcelona, and there had been rumors of a verbal agreement on personal terms, but he ended up signing a long-term contract extension with Athletic Club, presumably because he wanted to stay at his boyhood club and Barcelona couldn’t guarantee his registration in La Liga.
Now that Williams is out of the running, Lookman is the focus. Flick is a “huge admirer” of the Atalanta winger and wants him to be the main target for Barcelona’s left side of attack, according to OwnGoalNigeria.com and other Spanish websites. This is in spite of earlier rumors that Barcelona is interested in Marcus Rashford of Manchester United.
The 27-year-old Ademola Lookman has been playing at an incredible level, as seen by his historic hat trick in the UEFA Europa League final two seasons ago, which helped him win the African Player of the Year award.
Lookman carried on his stellar play last season, helping Atalanta earn a berth in the UEFA Champions League with 15 goals and five assists in 31 league games.
With two years left on his current deal, Lookman is apparently open to leaving Atalanta, but it is anticipated that they will demand a cost of around €50 million.
