Atletico Madrid have completed the signing of Nigeria forward Ademola Lookman from Italian side Atalanta in a deal worth £30.3 million.
The move will see Lookman become the first English-born footballer to have featured in the Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A and La Liga. In total, only 21 players have played across those four leagues, while just three — Christian Poulsen, Justin Kluivert and Stevan Jovetic — have appeared in all five of Europe’s major leagues, which also include France’s Ligue 1.
The London-born 28-year-old has been plying his trade in Serie A since 2022, scoring 55 goals and providing 27 assists after joining Atalanta from Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig. His standout moment came in 2024 when he netted a hat-trick in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen, securing Atalanta’s first-ever European trophy.
Later that year, Lookman was named African Footballer of the Year and was the only African player shortlisted for the men’s Ballon d’Or, finishing 14th in the final ranking.
Although he represented England at youth level and was part of the squad that won the Under-20 World Cup in 2017, Lookman switched allegiance and made his senior debut for Nigeria in 2022.
Atletico Madrid, who sit third in La Liga and trail leaders Barcelona by 10 points, announced on Monday that an agreement had been reached with Atalanta before confirming on transfer deadline day that Lookman has signed a contract running until June 2030.
Lookman began his professional career at Charlton Athletic, making his senior debut in 2015, before securing a move to Everton two years later, where he scored on his Premier League debut. Following a successful loan spell, he joined RB Leipzig permanently in July 2019, before spending seasons on loan at Fulham and Leicester City. He later made the switch to Italy, where his career flourished.
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid have also strengthened their squad with the signing of Mexico international midfielder Obed Vargas from Major League Soccer side Seattle Sounders.
Vargas, who was born in Anchorage, Alaska, has joined the Spanish club on a deal until June 30, 2030. The 20-year-old joined the Sounders in 2019 and made his MLS debut on July 22, 2021, becoming the then third-youngest player in league history at 15 years and 351 days.
During his time in Seattle, Vargas won the 2021–22 Concacaf Champions League and the 2025 Leagues Cup, and also featured against Atletico Madrid at last summer’s FIFA Club World Cup.
