Serie A side Atalanta have signed RB Leipzig winger Ademola Lookman.
Lookman spent last season on-loan with Leicester City and has now signed permanently with La Dea.
He moves to Atalanta for €15m including add-on and has signed a contract tying him to Atalanta until June 2026 with an option to extend to 2027.
Lookman has four caps with Nigeria.
Tammy Abraham struck twice as Roma ran out 4-1 winners at fancied Atalanta on Saturday, in the biggest win for Jose Mourinho since returning to Serie A.
English striker Abraham opened the scoring with less than a minute on the clock at the Gewiss Stadium and rounded off the match late on as Roma closed the gap between them and the Champions League places to five points.
“What a win, what else can I say? A lot of people doubted us today but this is by far one of the best wins we’ve had this season,” said Abraham to DAZN.
“We needed to win and what a win.”
Nicolo Zaniolo and Abraham’s countryman Chris Smalling also netted in an impressive win, their first against one of Italy’s top teams this season, which took them fifth and dented third-place Atalanta’s burgeoning title hopes.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s side sit third, six points behind champions and league leaders Inter Milan who crushed Salernitana 5-0 on Friday.
They will drop to fourth if Napoli win at fellow title-chasers AC Milan on Sunday following a defeat in which they dominated proceedings for large spells but were punished by Roma who were clinical in a classic Mourinho style.
Roma’s goals came from five shots on target after having less than 30 percent possession and no corners.
“There was a great spirit. It’s clear that playing against Atalanta you can never be in control of the match for 90 minutes… the team was great in every department today,” said Mourinho, who won the treble with Inter in 2010.
“I think Inter are on another level to everyone else but to beat the top teams like Milan, Napoli and Atalanta you can’t just have good organisation or tactics, you need a certain type of character which we had today.”
Juventus lost at home to Atalanta for a fifth defeat in 14 league matches leaving them in eighth in Serie A.
Duvan Zapata’s 28th-minute winner stretched the visitors’ unbeaten run to eight matches as they stayed fourth, four points behind leaders Napoli and seven points ahead of Juventus.
The hosts failed to threaten much, with Paulo Dybala’s late free-kick hitting the crossbar.
The victory was Atalanta’s first at Juventus since 1989.
Massimiliano Allegri’s side have now only scored 18 goals in their 14 league matches, the lowest total in Serie A’s top 10, and the loss follows their 4-0 defeat at Chelsea in the Champions League in midweek.
Cristiano Ronaldo was once again Manchester United’s saviour as the Portuguese superstar scored two equalisers in a 2-2 draw with Atalanta on Tuesday.
The 36-year-old fired in a superb volley in stoppage time after equalising for United on the stroke of half-time.
The result came just a fortnight after United fought back from 2-0 to beat Atalanta 3-2 at Old Trafford.
And the Italians once again took up early supremacy against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, going ahead after 12 minutes through Josip Iličić.
Duvan Zapata found the Slovenia international unmarked at the back post to break the deadlock.
Ronaldo got United back in it after a sumptuous team move, which saw Fernandes backheel to his compatriot before he fired past Juan Musso.
However, United failed to learn their lesson in the second half as they went behind again when Zapata scored after 56 minutes.
Atalanta thought they had won it until Ronaldo fired in a world-class volley into the bottom corner from outside the box to clinch a point for the visitors.
The Red Devils remain top of Group F on equal points with Villarreal.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a late header to secure victory as Manchester United came from two goals down to beat Atalanta 3-2 in a pulsating Champions League Group F at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
Mario Pasalic put Atalanta ahead in the 15th minute, turning in Davide Zappacosta’s low ball from close range and United, with just one win in their last five games in all competitions, looked drained of belief.
It was no great surprise when the Italian side doubled their lead in the 29th minute with Merih Demiral rising at the near post to glance in an angled header from a Teun Koopmeiners’ corner.
Fred and Marcus Rashford missed good chances for United before the break but the home side got themselves back into the game in the 53rd minute.
A clever ball from Bruno Fernandes allowed Rashford to cut in from the left and he picked his spot with a shot into the far corner.
United drew level when Harry Maguire drilled the ball home at the back post after the stationary Atalanta defence failed to intercept a Fernandes ball across the box.
Then came the winner as Luke Shaw whipped in a superb cross from the left and Ronaldo rose superbly to perfectly place a header past Musso.
“I was right behind him. His leap, his timing, it was perfect right in the corner,” Maguire said.
“We see it day in, day out in training and in the goals he has scored throughout his career. He has come up with a massive goal for us again in the Champions League.
“We got the goals we needed and deserved and I think we deserved the win in the end. Yes, we made it difficult but it is a tremendous victory in the end,” he said.
United top the group after three games on six points with Atalanta and Villarreal two points behind.
The win also eases some pressure on United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who had come under criticism for the team’s recent poor form.
“The fans are a big part of this club. The singing section there kept the players going with their belief. That is what you do at Manchester United on a Champions League night.
“This corner of the stadium here are the best in the world. There is a bit of time when you are down as a supporter but you keep going.
“I thought we played well first half too. Two chances, two goals. It had to stop if we are to survive. We have a habit of doing this at this club.
“I thought we played well and they scored a goal out of nothing and then another set-piece. But they never stopped believing and kept going,” said Solskjaer.
On the jeers directed at him and the players during the first half, Solskjaer said: “Don’t disrespect the players.
“They play for Manchester United and they know they are the luckiest men in the world.
“Tonight they are the luckiest men in the world because they get to play for Manchester United. That is what so many millions of boys and girls want to do.”
Chelsea defender Davide Zappacosta has joined Atalanta in a permanent deal.
The Italian defender heads back to the club where he first played Serie A football, ending his four-year Chelsea career.
Zappacosta spent last season in his homeland on loan with Genoa and featured heavily for Il Grifone, recovering well from a serious knee injury he sustained while on loan with Roma the season prior, and going on to feature 25 times for the northern Italy side.
The right-back made a number of appearances for the Blues in pre-season but with the likes of Cesar Azpilicueta and Reece James above him in the pecking order at present, Thomas Tuchel has allowed Zappacosta to move on.
Atalanta goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini has explained his decision to join Tottenham.
The Italy cap is in London to sign on-loan with Spurs.
“I’m very happy. Obviously, it was difficult to leave a place that had been like a second home and family. I thank Bergamo, because I felt loved here and what we did will remain in the club’s history, but this is a new experience,” said Gollini.
“I am very happy and grateful to Tottenham for this great opportunity. Hugo Lloris is world champion, so it is prestigious and an honor for me to play with him.
“The best offer came from Tottenham, but in all honesty it was also difficult for me to wear a shirt that is not Atalanta’s.
Premier League giants Manchester United are preparing a £39million bid for Atalanta defender Cristian Romero, according to reports.
Atalanta are reportedly planning to make Romero’s loan from Juventus permanent for £21.5m before cashing in on his services.
But Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Atalanta will take up an option in the 23-year-old’s loan deal to sign him permanently.
The fee is believed to be £21.5m – but some rumours suggest it could be as low as £13.75m.
Reports claim the Serie A side will then look to sell Romero for €45m – around £39m – and make a huge profit.
And Man United are said to be leading the race for the Argentina international’s signature.
Romero has been one of Atalanta’s best players this term, making 31 Serie A appearances to help them finish third and qualify for next season’s Champions League.
And he’s been recognised for his efforts – picking up the Italian league’s best defender award for the 2020-21 season.
After starting his career in his native Argentina, Romero signed for Italian side Genoa in July 2018.
The defender’s impressive performances in Serie A persuaded Juventus to sign him a year later, although he was immediately loaned back to Genoa for the 2019-20 season.
Romero was then sent to Atalanta on a two-year loan in September 2020 with an option to buy.
Man United are believed to want a new centre back this summer to partner skipper Harry Maguire – and have been linked with several defenders.
Real Madrid pair Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane are both said to be on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s shortlist – along with Sevilla star Jules Kounde.
Atalanta forward Luis Muriel admits Real Madrid were too good for last night’s Champions League defeat.
Karim Benzema, Sergio Ramos and Marco Asensio scored for Real, while Luis Muriel’s free kick was scant consolation.
“We conceded that early goal with an error and it really hit our confidence,” confessed Muriel to Sky Italia.
“It’s a pity, because we gave away two goals with our errors and that really knocked the wind out of our sails.
“What impressed me the most was the pressing they used on us and also the calm they had when playing, which was remarkable considering this is a club that had a lot to lose and would run into a lot of trouble if they were eliminated. It impressed me.”
Muriel added, “We are growing as a club and want to continue growing. These games will help us players and Atalanta as a club to develop.
“That was our objective, to play well in the Champions League and try to go as far as possible.”
Real Madrid reached the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in three seasons with a clinical second-leg performance against Atalanta.
Leading 1-0 from the first leg, Real doubled their advantage in the tie when Luka Modric pounced on Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Sportiello’s poor clearance to square for Karim Benzema to sweep home.
Skipper Sergio Ramos added Real’s second from the penalty spot after Vinicius Junior was cynically tripped just inside the area by Rafael Toloi.
The Italian side pulled one back through Muriel’s marvellous 25-yard free-kick but Marco Asensio’s near-post finish quickly silenced any thoughts of a late fightback.