Different jerseys, same stage — Nigerian duo Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman shared more than just a league; they shared a pattern of problems.

Just when former African Player of The Year, Osimhen, has pulled away from the drama that trailed his unceremonious exit from Italian Serie A side Napoli, reigning Africa’s best player, Lookman, is caught in the web of a transfer saga with Atalanta.

These are players who don’t have to prove themselves, neither to their parent clubs nor their suitors, but the situation they found themselves in leaves them with little or no options.

In the latest twist involving Lookman, the 27-year-old was poised to leave Bergamo this summer—just as he was last year—but Europa League champions Atalanta have proven tough negotiators, rejecting two offers from rivals Inter Milan for the Nigerian forward.

Atalanta valued Lookman at €50m, but Inter opened their bid with €40m and later increased it to €45m, but neither has been enough to meet Atalanta’s valuation.

Lookman has expressed his frustration with Atalanta, revealing that they agreed to let him go for a reasonable fee. However, the club also responded, reminding their 2024 Europa League final hero about the unwritten clause that prohibits him from joining another Italian team.

Although Osimhen has left Italy, joining Galatasaray for €75m, the 26-year-old cannot secure a transfer to another Italian club, at least in the next two years. That is one of the clauses Napoli inserted into their agreement before letting him join Galatasaray.

The Serie A is popular for recycling players and even coaches within the league. Players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Clarence Seedorf, Hernan Crespo and even the rebellious Mario Balotelli have moved from one Serie A club to the other, and even clubs with shared rivalry like Inter Milan and AC Milan have seen players cross the divide.

But for Osimhen and Lookman, whether they fancy a move to other top European countries or not, their transfer situations are not far from exiling them from Italy, where they have made their marks as footballers.

Nigerians perceived it as unfair treatment and double standards against two of the best players to have come out of the country.

“First it was Victor and now Lookman. Both CAF African Players of the Year and worthy of every form of respect. This is sad and raises a question mark as to how the Italian clubs treat African players. I hope going into the future, our players avoid that league in any way possible,” Praiz Emeka said.

Nyong Bassey added, “There is no crime in wanting to be better as a footballer. The same treatment was given to Oshimehn in Italy. I don’t know what their problem is.”

The fans might not be too far from the truth.

Former Super Eagles defender Taribo West once revealed how he was schemed out of Milan because he was playing the same position as Paulo Maldini.


“When I went back (to Milan), there were five games left, and out of the five, I played four games. I played in Maldini’s position, and I took his position. Then I went to meet the President of Inter Milan and see if I could return to the club, and he asked me, ‘Why did you play in Maldini’s position?’ So, I said that anywhere the coach told me to play, I would play. He said, “In Italy, you don’t do that, that’s our national team captain, you are looking for trouble.”

Coincidentally, both players’ issues began with a penalty miss after a heroic season with the respective clubs.

In the 2022/23 season, Osimhen scored 26 league goals to lead Napoli to their first Serie A title in 33 years. While his stock rose significantly to about €120m after signing a new contract, the Naples club became the player’s undoing by not selling him that summer and what followed in the 2023/24 season was a total breakdown in rapport between the player and the club.

It started with a social media mockery of Osimhen’s penalty miss against Bologna in September 2023, then the club blocked every offer he had from the Saudi Pro League that summer. He was left with a meagre offer from Chelsea, but the Nigerian would rather sit on the bench at Napoli than join the Blues for the ridiculous amount they offered in Salary.

In the end, he was shipped out to Galatasaray on loan, where he scored 37 goals plus eight assists in all competitions, proving he is the lethal man for every top club, but still, no offers came from all his EPL admirers.

For Lookman, Atalanta lost 3-1 at home to Club Brugge in the Champions League play-off round in February, which sealed a 5-2 aggregate loss.

Lookman scored immediately after coming off the bench at half-time, but then missed a penalty, which led Gasperini to call him “one of the worst penalty takers I’ve ever seen” during his post-match press conference.

Those comments fuelled Lookman’s resolve to leave, and even after the exit of the coach in question, the Nigerian’s stance hasn’t changed, but his future is still up in the air as he tries to force his way out of the club by skipping training.

Those comments fuelled Lookman’s resolve to leave, and even after the exit of the coach in question, the Nigerian’s stance hasn’t changed, but his future is still up in the air as he tries to force his way out of the club by skipping training.