Ademola Lookman will face punishment from Atalanta after a two-week training strike as the Super Eagles’ star failed to force through his desired move to Inter Milan, reports goal.com.
 
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.
 
It said that Lookman would 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 per cent 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 goal scorer.