Liverpool could now sign a player who has been hailed as “among the best in Europe” this summer, according to a new transfer rumour.
This summer has the potential to be one of the most exciting at Anfield in years, with Arne Slot expected to be backed in the transfer market.
Additions are required at left-back and centre-back – a new right-back will also be needed if Trent Alexander-Arnold departs – but at least one fresh face is needed in attack, too.
According to Corriere dello Sport [via Sport Witness], Atalanta winger Ademola Lookman remains an option for Liverpool this summer.
In fact, his exit could even be “inevitable” if a £51m offer arrives for the Nigeria international, so the Reds know what they have to pay if they want him.
Is Lookman worth £51m for Liverpool?
Lookman may have struggled to impress in the Premier League during his Everton days, but he has come on leaps and bounds as a footballer since then, not least scoring a hat-trick in last season’s Europa League final, as Atalanta beat Bayern Leverkusen 3-0.
The 27-year-old has been lauded by his manager, Gian Piero Gasperini, who knows that he has an elite footballer in his ranks currently.
“He’s [Lookman] a top player. In terms of character, there are perhaps players who have more continuity and are more solid, but that’s normal. Even his role is difficult. He always has to be very fit, but he has become a truly extraordinary player, among the best in Europe and the world. Because he has improved his consistency and in some ways he has started to be an important Atalanta player.”
Lookman has enjoyed another impressive season Atalanta, scoring 13 goals in 25 Serie A starts, and his versatility allows him to shine both centrally and out wide.
It is easy to see him excelling for Liverpool, although one drawback is the fact that he is less than one year younger than both Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota, and therefore wouldn’t necessarily be the long-term attacking option that they crave.
That said, there are certainly far worse options out there for the Reds, and his Everton past would add a nice bit of needle to the transfer, too.
