Tottenham are in the midst of a desperate battle to remain in the Premier League, and the specter of the January transfer window is haunting them once again.
Atletico Madrid’s overnight sensation Ademola Lookman has reportedly been offered a number of offers to Spurs in the last month, but the north London club have reportedly turned down the chance to sign him.
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Tottenham turn down chance to sign Ademola Lookman
Spurs have been strongly linked with signing the former Atalanta star and have had a long-term interest in the attacker.
And they have had the opportunity to sign him not once but twice, most recently in January when they were offered the chance to secure his signature.
However, according to The Sun, Tottenham bosses turned down the 28-year-old winger despite the “catastrophic” injury crisis that ravaged Thomas Frank’s side throughout January.
Lookman ultimately completed his £30m move from Atalanta to the Spanish capital on deadline day, but his impact has been nothing short of explosive.
Lookman’s immediate impact at Atlético Madrid
The Super Eagles star has already scored four goals in his first six games for Diego Simeone’s side.
His standout moment came just two weeks ago when he terrorized Barcelona’s defense in a 4-0 win in the Copa del Rey.
Lookman opened his account for the club with a clinical strike and turned provider for Julián Álvarez, but many at the Metropolitano wondered how a player of his caliber could play until the final minutes of his quota.
| club | Appearance | the goal | assist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atalanta BC | 137 | 55 | 27 |
| charlton athletic | 49 | 12 | 3 |
| Everton FC | 48 | 4 | 2 |
| leicester city | 42 | 8 | 5 |
| Fulham FC | 35 | 4 | 4 |
| RB Leipzig | twenty four | 5 | 4 |
| atlético de madrid | 7 | 4 | 2 |
| Everton FC U21 | 2 | 2 | – |
Ademola Lookman’s various club stats (via Transfermarkt)
Questions remain over Spurs’ decision to downplay Lookman
The decision to discount Lookman seems even more puzzling considering the Spurs lost nine first-team players to injury in January alone.
Director of football Johan Lange recently defended the club’s silence, claiming they needed to be “disciplined” to avoid signing “hasty amendments”.
Lange insisted the new players must be “premium players now and in the future” as the squad is swollen as they return from injury.
Ironically, Lookman, who turned 28 in October, didn’t seem to fit that long-term profile, but he has outperformed almost every eligible attacker currently in Spurs’ squad.
Spurs opted for Conor Gallagher and teenage full-back Souza instead of the Nigerian, but many fans questioned why a proven goalscorer was not prioritized in the relegation battle.
Tottenham’s forward line-up has struggled for consistency, but Lookman’s immediate impact in Spain suggests he is exactly the type of spark Spurs needed.
For a club currently sitting 16th in the table, the decision to ignore a player who has already humiliated Barcelona may go down as the most costly mistake of the season.
