Ademola Lookman was the name on everyone’s lips after Atalanta’s 3-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen in the 2024 UEFA Europa League final.
The Nigeria international scored all three goals as Gian Piero Gasperini’s side won their first major trophy since 1963 and ended Leverkusen’s remarkable 51-match unbeaten run in all competitions.
Lookman was in fine form throughout the competition in Dublin, becoming the sixth player in history to score a hat-trick in a major European club final, and only the fourth to do so in singles title matches, after Real Madrid greats Ferenc Puskas (twice) and Alfredo Di Stefano, and AC Milan’s Pierino Prati.
Lookman, 26, who had never reached the ten-goal mark in a single season before 2022/23, has now reached 15 consecutive seasons with Atalanta. “In the last two years I have been able to take my game to a new level and show it more consistently,” he said. “It could have happened earlier, perhaps, but it has happened now. I am happy with the progress I have made, but this is only the beginning. I hope to have more nights like this.”
3 – Ademola #Look man He is only the second player to score a hat-trick in a major European competition final for an Italian team, after Pierino Prati in Milan against Ajax in the 1969 European Cup. Legendary.#UELFinal #AtaLev pic.twitter.com/bzbPdFn3IE
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) May 22, 2024
His performance ultimately earned him a place in the shortlist of 30 finalists to win the Ballon d’Or. Jugo Mobile look at his contract status with Atalanta and how much the Serie A side paid to sign him.
How much did Atalanta pay for Ademola Lookman?
Atalanta signed Lookman from Bundesliga club RB Leipzig in August 2022. The transfer fee was reported to be €15 million.
The deal was a bit of a risk, even at a relatively modest price, given that the winger had not really developed as hoped under Julian Nagelsmann at Leipzig and had spent time in England on loan at Fulham and Leicester City. That ended up being the key to his move to Bergamo.
“We had a senior executive at Atalanta [Lee Congerton] “He had worked at Leicester, who saw the opportunity to bring him in and thought he was a potentially useful player,” Gasperini recalls.
“Nobody could have imagined that he could make such progress. He was not very prolific in England. I changed his position to a more attacking role. [In the final] He achieved something that will go down in the annals of football history: a superb hat-trick.
Which clubs are interested in Ademola Lookman?
Transfer rumours surrounding Lookman were always likely to flare up after his performance in the Europa League, although he had already been linked with some big clubs.
In February, both Juventus And Atletico Madrid were credited with interest, with The sun claiming that the Italian and Spanish giants had been impressed by Lookman’s form with Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Ultimately, Lookman remained at Atalanta beyond the end of the transfer window.
Ademola Lookman’s contract and salary at Atalanta
Lookman’s contract with Atalanta is set to run until June 30, 2026.
According to CapologyHe earns a basic salary of €2.31 million per year, which is equivalent to €44,423 per week. This places him around eighth on AtalantaThe list of highest salaries, with Gianluca Scamacca at the top, with around €114,000 per week (€5.93 million per year).
Lookman’s salary is small compared to some other stars who share his honour of receiving a rare 10/10 rating for a match from French football magazine L’Equipe.
How many players got 10/10 from L’Equipe?
L’Equipe are renowned for their rather ruthless player ratings and very rarely award anyone the honour of a perfect 10. Lookman’s exploits in the Europa League final saw him join that list.
These are the only players to have received a 10/10 rating from L’Equipe. Only two, Lionel Messi And Erling HaalandI have succeeded twice.
| Player | Team and match | Year |
| Franck Sauzée | France against Greece (U21) | 1988 |
| Bruno Martini | France against Greece (U21) | 1988 |
| Oleg Salenko | Russia against Cameroon | 1994 |
| Lars Windfeld | Aarhus against Nantes | 1997 |
| Lionel Messi | Barcelona against Arsenal | 2010 |
| Lionel Messi | Barcelona against Bayer Leverkusen | 2010 |
| Robert Lewandowski | Borussia Dortmund against Real Madrid | 2013 |
| Carlos Eduardo | Guingamp vs. Good | 2014 |
| Neymar | PSG against Dijon | 2018 |
| Dusan Tadic | Real Madrid vs. Ajax | 2019 |
| Lucas Moura | Ajax vs. Tottenham | 2019 |
| Serge Gnabry | Tottenham vs. Bayern Munich | 2019 |
| Kylian Mbappé | France against Kazakhstan | 2021 |
| Alban Lafont | Nantes against PSG | 2022 |
| Erling Haaland | Manchester City against Manchester United | 2022 |
| Dominik Livakovic | Croatia against Brazil | 2022 |
| Erling Haaland | Manchester City against RB Leipzig | 2022 |
| Ademola Lookman | Atalanta against Bayer Leverkusen | 2022 |
How many games did Ademola Lookman play for Everton and Fulham?
Lookman signed for Everton from Charlton in January 2017 for an initial fee believed to be £7.5 million. He made a remarkable debut, scoring his side’s fourth goal as a substitute in a 4–0 win over Manchester City in Pep Guardiola’s first season in charge.
Ademola Lookman scored more goals in this Europa League final than in three Premier League seasons with Everton ? pic.twitter.com/5pkphWYuOI
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) May 22, 2024
Lookman played 48 times in total for Everton before joining RB Leipzig on a permanent transfer in 2019. He returned to the Premier League on loan at Fulham for 2020/21, scoring five goals in 35 appearances in all competitions.
He spent the 2021/22 season with Leicester City, where he scored eight times in 42 games before his move to Atalanta.
Where was Ademola Lookman born? Parents, early life
Ademola Olajade Alade Aylola Lookman was born in Wandsworth, a district of South London, United Kingdom, on October 20, 1997. His parents are both Nigerian.
Lookman attended school in Peckham and achieved very good grades, but a career in football beckoned after joining Charlton Athletic’s youth academy in 2014 from previous team Waterloo, making his first-team debut for the club at the age of 18 on 3 November 2015.
