By our reporter 8.3.2026
Former Nigerian international Emmanuel Babayaro said Ademola Lookman’s style of play made it impossible for him to thrive in England.
Lookman before hitting global limelight failed to find his rhythm with several English clubs like Charlton Athletic, Fulham, Leicester City and Everton where scored four goals from 48 matches. But his move to Germany’s RB Leipzig and later teaming up with Atalanta in the Italian Serie A brought his talent to the fore.
“When you consider why he did not perform in England and then went on to work wonders in other parts of the world, do you think his style of play was probably part of the reason why he never really fitted in the United Kingdom?
“Lookman likes to play with ease and style. He likes to play without too much pressure. He has that creativity, give him the ball and he’s able to do things, but in England you have microseconds before something happens. A lot of times, the pressure is on you to release the ball,” Babayaro said while speaking on ATHLST podcast.
Meanwhile Bayern Munich missed the opportunity of signing Lookman last summer transfer window before he finally joined Atletico Madrid in the January window.
Lookman and his management were said to have agreed to sign for the Germany champions, but they could not meet up with the financial demands from Atalanta. In January Atletico paid 35 million euros to get their man and he has not failed to impress in Spanish capital.