Again, Lookman left out as Atalanta set to face PSG

Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman will play no part in Atalanta’s Champions League opener against Paris Saint-Germain, with coach Ivan Juric confirming on Sunday that the 27-year-old remains frozen out after his failed summer move to Inter Milan.

Atalanta warmed up for Wednesday’s trip to Paris with a 4-1 thrashing of Lecce, once again without their star attacker, who has yet to feature this season.

This is the second straight year Lookman has attempted to force his way out of Bergamo, having pushed for a transfer to PSG last summer after firing Atalanta to their first-ever European trophy with a hat-trick in the 2024 Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen.

“I don’t think so, it’s an unpleasant situation,” Juric said when asked if Lookman would travel to France. “He has given a lot to Atalanta, but Atalanta has given him a lot as well. We need players who are ready, who want to play for the shirt and improve.”

Lookman, who has scored 52 goals in 117 matches for Atalanta, netted 20 times last season, including five in the Champions League. But his decision to abandon training during the summer soured relations, with Inter unwilling to meet the club’s €50 million asking price.

Juric has since iced him out, even as Atalanta remain unbeaten in their opening three Serie A matches and sit sixth, one point off Roma, now managed by former boss Gian Piero Gasperini.

On Sunday, Charles De Ketelaere scored twice, while Giorgio Scalvini and Nicola Zalewski added the others in the victory over Lecce.