Inter Milan sports director Giuseppe Marotta has lifted the lid on the club's decision to withdraw from the deal for Ademola Lookman.

The Nerazzurri officially pulled out of negotiations with Atalanta for the reigning African Footballer of the Year after their initial bid of €45m was rejected.

Inter agreed to a five-year deal with the Super Eagles winger, who is keen on leaving Atalanta this summer.

Lookman submitted a transfer request to the club to officially communicate his intentions to leave the Bergamo-based side.

The 27-year-old later skipped training with La Dea for two weeks to protest the club's decision not to sanction his transfer to Inter Milan.

Speaking on Inter's decision to end their pursuit of Lookman, Marotta stated that Atalanta has the exclusive right to either sell or keep the player.

“There was talk of Lookman, but we found a club that had every right not to put him on the market, and rightly so,” he told TMW.

Lookman was not included in Atalanta's team for their Serie A opener last weekend as his future remains uncertain.

WDN