Ademola Lookman faces heavy sanctions from Atalanta over two-week strike as talks scheduled after failed Inter move

According to Calciomercato, Lookman will return to Atalanta's training centre to meet with the management led by CEO Antonio Percassi to discuss his future after his failed move to Inter. Lookman will be forced to apologise to the club after going on strike to push through a move, but Atalanta are still prepared to impose sanctions.

Inter and Atalanta have been locked in negotiations for weeks with Inter already having agreed personal terms with Lookman. However CEO Percassi explained that while he promised to sell Lookman in 2025, he was not ready to sell him to an Italian side. This angered Lookman who in an effort to force a move to Inter accused the club of breaking their promise and refused to turn up for training for two weeks without explanation. He even deleted all Atalanta photos from his social media. Atalanta, however, rejected Inter’s latest €45 million (£38m/$53m) offer, prompting the Nerazzurri to formally withdraw their interest.

However, Atalanta may adopt a more lenient stance with Lookman, given his importance to Ivan Juric’s plans. Juric stressed that the team would lose 90% of their goals if Lookman were to follow last season's Serie A top scorer Mateo Retegui out the door. This could push the club to reinstate Lookman in the starting XI, as they do not want harsh sanctions to diminish his market value or leave him unprepared for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations.

It will be an unpleasant but crucial meeting between Atalanta and Lookman, with relations strained between the two parties. However, finding an amicable solution would benefit both sides as Lookman needs to stay fit for the Africa Cup of Nations while Atalanta would regain their main goalscorer.