Roma is eyeing a move for Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman in the upcoming January transfer window, aiming to reunite the player with his former manager, Gian Piero Gasperini. This potential transfer has been revealed by former Serie A striker, Nicola Ventola, who believes the Italian club will make an attempt to bring the 27-year-old Atalanta striker to the Stadio Olimpico.
“I think they’ll try. Lookman can change the team,” Ventola said during a conversation on the Viva El Futbol podcast, as reported by Calciomercato.com. “If you have Lookman on one side and (Matias) Soulé on the other, then (Artem) Dovbyk would not struggle that much.”
Lookman enjoyed a highly successful period at Atalanta under the guidance of Gasperini, with the pair winning the 2024 Europa League title—Atalanta’s first-ever European trophy. Lookman’s excellent performances also earned him the prestigious 2024 African Player of the Year award. However, their relationship soured during the 2024/25 season, notably following a penalty miss in a UEFA Champions League match against Celtic. Despite this, Gasperini later apologised for his remarks about the incident.
Lookman’s summer transfer ambitions were focused on joining Inter Milan, but the Serie A club failed to meet Atalanta’s €50 million asking price. This resulted in Lookman being frozen out of the squad at Atalanta for a period, though he has since returned to the team.
Ventola also shared insights into Gasperini’s situation at Roma, suggesting that the coach is not entirely satisfied with the players at his disposal. He believes Gasperini will push for additional signings that align better with his tactical philosophy.
“I think Gasperini isn’t happy with what he has. He’s working, but his objective is to improve the team with more suitable players for his playing style. This is not his team,” Ventola explained.
Former Roma defender, Lele Adani, echoed these thoughts, urging the club to make a significant financial effort to secure Lookman’s signature.
“Roma, if they can, must make an outstanding sacrifice to sign Lookman because I’m convinced they’ll remain up there until January,” Adani stated.
Despite the apparent interest in Lookman, Roma faces challenges regarding the financial feasibility of such a transfer. Reports suggest the Giallorossi must raise €90 million to comply with Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations, raising doubts about their ability to fund a major acquisition in January.
Roma is currently joint-top of Serie A, having collected 15 points from their opening six matches, alongside Napoli. After the international break, Roma will face Inter Milan at the Stadio Olimpico in a crucial fixture that will test their title aspirations.
