Arsenal have fortified some major areas of weakness this summer in the hopes of finally becoming Premier League champions following back-to-back-to-back second-place finishes.
Mikel Arteta’s side fought off a number of suitors in the race to sign lethal Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres. Gyokeres bagged the opener in Sunday’s pre-season clash with Athletic Bilbao, but the club are already looking at bringing in more players who can supply him with even more chances.
One of those players is Crystal Palace’s FA Cup-winning attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze, who has been linked with a move north of the Thames, but he’s not the only attacker still on Andrea Berta’s shortlist, with the Italian sporting director renowned for pursuing several targets at once.
Arsenal and Inter Milan face off for Lookman
Over the last month, Sports Witness have covered reports from Italy about Arsenal’s interest in former Premier League forward Ademola Lookman. Lookman is seen as a backup if they fail to sign preferential targets or if Leandro Trossard completes a move away from the club.
However, Arsenal are not the only team interested in the Nigeria star, and they face competition from Inter Milan. The report adds that both clubs are somewhat wary of the other’s interest and may act to secure Lookman’s signature before he can be tempted by the other.
Inter have already submitted a bid of around £39 million, but Atalanta have turned this down in the hopes of receiving a better offer, with the reports suggesting Berta could hijack the deal with a bid closer to £44m.
Lookman's post-Premier League development
Fans only familiar with Lookman’s time at Everton may question why Arsenal are looking at him as a player who could turn them into title contenders, as his tenure in the league was far from illustrious. However, since his move abroad, he has developed year-on-year into a formidable forward.
Goal Involvements (All Competitions)
Goal Involvements
2019/20 – RB Leipzig
0
2020/21 – Fulham (Loan)
8
2021/22 – Leicester City (Loan)
14
2022/23 – Atalanta
21
2023/24 – Atalanta
26
2024/25 – Atalanta
26
Stats Via FotMob
Lookman’s only full season at Leipzig was one of the lowest points for his career, registering 0 goal involvements across all competitions. However, since then, he has improved his numbers year on year to the point where he finished 14th in the Ballon d’Or rankings and won African Footballer of the Year in 2024, cementing himself as a “world-class” player.
Last season, he matched his 2023/24 record of 26 goal involvements but did so in five fewer appearances after suffering a knee injury. Based on his goal involvement to game ratio last season, if Lookman hadn’t been injured, he would have likely been involved in another three goals, which would have resumed his six-season run of continuous improvement.
At 26 years old, Lookman has developed into the finished product that will be able to come into either the Arsenal or the Inter side and immediately lift those around him, and that is likely why Berta is considering him.
