Nigerian winger Ademola Lookman has sealed a mid-season move to the Spanish La Liga, joining Atletico Madrid from Italian Serie A side Atalanta BC.

After about four years with Atalanta, Lookman joins Atletico on a four-year deal that runs until June 30, 2030. According to reports, Lookman’s signing cost Atletico Madrid €35 million, with an additional €5 million in add-ons to Atalanta, whom the 28-year-old joined from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig in 2022.

During his time in Italy, Lookman scored 55 goals for Atalanta and registered 23 assists, including a famous hat-trick in the UEFA Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen. That performance secured the club’s first European trophy and ended the German side’s 51-match unbeaten run.

Before winning the Europa League with Atalanta, Lookman guided Nigeria to the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, scoring three goals, the highest tally in the squad, and earning a place in the Team of the Tournament. He went on to win the 2023 African Footballer of the Year award.

At the just-concluded AFCON 2025, the London-born Nigerian international was also instrumental in Nigeria’s bronze medal finish, registering four goals and four assists, the highest goal contributions at the tournament.

Lookman joins Atletico after a series of botched attempts that started last summer’s transfer window.  

“Thank you to my teammates, the staff, the club,’’ Lookman wrote in his farewell message. “To the fans, your passion, your belief, your energy meant everything. From day one, you stood by me and by this team through every moment. Your passion, your voices, your belief never faded and together we achieved.”