Atalanta CEO Luca Percassi has confirmed that Ademola Lookman will be allowed to leave the club this summer, but must find a move outside of Serie A.

Inter Milan had a bid for the Nigerian international rejected, which led to Lookman releasing a statement that accused Atalanta of treating him poorly "as a human being and professional footballer".

The 27-year-old has also submitted a transfer request, believing that an agreement was in place for him to seek a new adventure ahead of the new season.

While Percassi admitted that he is free to leave the club, he explained that the new team must be outside of Italy and a highly regarded club in terms of their European standing.

He said: "Atalanta, being a credible club, had promised to sell the player this window based on two conditions that he himself had asked of us: first, to go to a super, top European club, and that he would never be seen in Italy wearing a shirt other than Atalanta’s, given what he did for the club and what he received from the club."

“Today, as you know, the situation is very different. The club is always careful when evaluating the value and timing of its players, but as always, it is Atalanta, the club, that decides.” 

Lookman joined the club in the summer of 2022 and has scored 52 goals in 117 matches.

He scored his first-ever career hat-trick in the 2024 Europa League final in Dublin, as Atalanta ended Bayer Leverkusen's unbeaten run to win their maiden European trophy.

The Nigerian also won the African Player of the Year at the end of last year.