Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is personally leading the charge to sign Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman from Atalanta.
The reigning Italian champions are looking to strengthen their squad under newly appointed manager Antonio Conte and Ademola Lookman is seen as a good fit.
According to Tuttosport, via Napoli Magazine, De Laurentiis is locked in direct negotiations with Atalanta’s owners, the Percassi family, in a determined effort to bring the in-form winger to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
The move comes as Napoli seek a quality replacement for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who departed for Paris Saint-Germain during the January transfer window.
The report notes that Napoli failed to sign Lookman earlier this year due to time constraints but have renewed their pursuit with greater urgency.
“De Laurentiis is relentless and is personally negotiating with the Percassi family to secure the approval for Ademola Lookman’s transfer,” Tuttosport stated.
Lookman, 27, is fresh off a stellar 2023-2024 campaign in which he scored 20 goals and registered six assists in 40 appearances across all competitions.
He further cemented his reputation with a historic hat-trick in the UEFA Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen in May, helping Atalanta lift their first-ever European title.
Despite their strong interest, Napoli are reportedly unwilling to meet Atalanta’s full valuation of over €50 million and are exploring a player-plus-cash deal.
Forward Giacomo Raspadori is believed to be a potential makeweight in the negotiations to lower the asking price.
Lookman, who has amassed 52 goals and 25 assists in 108 appearances for Atalanta, is also being monitored by Premier League clubs, while Spanish giants Barcelona have been linked as well.
It remains uncertain whether the former Charlton, Everton, Fulham, and Leicester City winger prefers to continue his Italian adventure or make a return to English football.
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