Super Eagles attacker, Ademola Lookman has had some demands placed on him by Atletico Madrid coach, Diego Simeone ahead of the Madrid derby tomorrow.
Lookman joined Atletico from Atalanta during the winter transfer window and made an immediate impact, scoring nine goals and providing four assists in 24 appearances across all competitions during the second half of last season.
The 28-year-old has been used in several attacking positions following the departure of Antoine Griezmann and the uncertainty surrounding Julian Alvarez.
Lookman started Atletico’s opening two league games as a centre-forward before returning to his preferred left-wing position against Sevilla. However, his overall numbers have remained modest. Lookman has featured in seven games for Atletico this season, scoring once, while he has also gone four consecutive matches without finding the net.
Despite Lookman’s slow start, Simeone has made it clear that he remains an important part of his plans ahead of today’s Madrid derby against Real Madrid.
Speaking during his pre-match press conference, the Atletico boss highlighted a particular quality that he believes the ex-Atalanta man brings to his squad. “He is a footballer who has a profile that we don’t have much. He is the most decisive in one-on-one situations on the edge of the box,” the Argentine said in quotes revealed by Marca. Simeone also stressed that Atletico need the Nigerian regardless of how many minutes he plays against Real Madrid. “We need him, whether it’s 60, 70 minutes or whatever he plays. He has done us very well since he arrived and although his start to the season is not what he would have wanted, we need him.” The comments represent a significant show of confidence in Lookman from the Atletico manager. Simeone has already admitted that playing the Nigerian as a centre-forward at the beginning of the campaign was not ideal. Lookman himself has accepted the tactical changes, explaining that playing in different positions can make him a more complete footballer. “I think it’s a learning process. As you said, trying to learn different positions can certainly enrich my game and make me a more complete player.”
The Madrid derby could provide the perfect opportunity for Lookman to rediscover his attacking spark and the Super Eagles forward already knows what it feels like to score against Real Madrid, having found the net in his first appearance against Los Blancos after joining Atletico.