What Ademola Lookman Could Bring to Inter Milan
The summer transfer window has been busy for elite strikers with players like Viktor Gyökeres, Victor Osimhen, and Hugo Ekitike looking to sign with new teams. A player going under the radar in the recent striker-swapfest is Atlanta’s Ademola Lookman. You may remember the Nigerian for his epic hat-trick in the 2024 Europa League Final, which helped Bayer Leverkusen secure their only defeat of the 2023-2024 season. He had another productive season in 2025 and is reportedly on his way out of Bergamo after having a fallout earlier in the season with then-coach Gian Piero Gasperini. Multiple reports have confirmed that Inter Milan have bid for Lookman, and their sporting director has said they’d like to sign him. Inter had an eventful season but finished trophyless; here’s what Lookman could bring to the Nerazzurri.
The main issue Lookman solves for Inter is the depth they lack at striker. After Marko Arnautović and Joaquin Correa both left the club, Inter is left with only one other bench striker who logged minutes in the Serie A. Signing another striker is especially important for a team like Inter, who play two up top. The lack of depth and bench quality hurt Inter last season when Marcus Thuram missed games in the Serie A, causing them to lose their spot in the title race. Having the ability to bring in a player of Lookman’s quality off the bench takes pressure off the strikers and helps them stay fit over the full year. Lookman is already accustomed to playing in a two-striker system with Atalanta, so the transition shouldn’t be too drastic.
On the pitch, Lookman’s ability to create scoring opportunities is more advanced than Lautaro Martinez's and Thuram's. He is far beyond the two in terms of progressive carries, progressive passes, and shot-creating actions. These stats may be skewed because of the difference in how Inter and Atalanta play, but they prove that Lookman can do things the other strikers haven’t shown. He likely won’t start consistently, but he brings an explosive element to Inter that their current strikers lack. Much of Inter’s ball progression comes from out wide with Federico Dimarco and Denzel Dumfries, who are both skilled at what they do. Having Lookman, who can advance the ball centrally, creates another problem defenses have to solve, making Inter more dangerous. Lookman can also play as an attacking midfielder, a position Inter don’t use, but could especially if they’re trailing and looking for more offense.
Overall, Lookman is a different striker than what Inter has. This isn’t bad, it just means he brings a new flavor to this team. He’s an excellent piece for a team that feels that they should’ve won the league last year and are poised for another run in Europe this year. Ademola isn’t the perfect fit, but he’s an excellent complement to the already brilliant Inter Milan.
