'Wait and see' - Arsenal and Liverpool sent boost in pursuit of 'unbelievable' £51m winger

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta.Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta. | Getty Images
The former Premier League forward could still return to the top flight in a marquee move this summer.

Arsenal and Liverpool have been sent a big boost in the transfer pursuit of Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman before the end of the summer window as an expected move to PSG has hit a hurdle for the forward.

The 26-year-old impressed in Italy last season, registering 17 goals and 10 assists in all competitions as he helped Atalanta to a Europa League triumph. The former Charlton Athletic and Everton star is now expected to quit the club this summer after just two years.

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Lookman still has another two years left on his contract but Atalanta are believed to be ready to cash in on a player who is at the peak of his powers. It had been widely expected that Lookman would complete a switch to French giants Paris-Saint Germain but a £51 million price tag could prove a problem in that deal.

Transfer specialist Florian Plettenberg took to social media platform X on Sunday to provide the latest update. He said: "Ademola Lookman, still very keen to join Paris Saint-Germain as PSG is currently his first choice. 26 y/o versatile striker waiting for decisions. But a possible deal currently stalling as there’s no club-to-club agreement and Paris currently not willing to pay the demanded amounts.

"Therefore, PSG deal currently unlikely. Arsenal and other top clubs, still monitoring Lookman‘s situation. Wait and see."

News of a PSG stumbling block could come as a huge boost for Arsenal. Premier League rivals Liverpool have also been named as a potential suitor by the Liverpool Echo as the window nears a close this summer.

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It has been noted that Lookman is represented by the same agency as Gunners star Kai Havertz, which could help the London outfit with any potential negotiations. So far, Mikel Arteta has only added Riccardo Calafiori to his squad with David Raya also making his loan move a permanent deal.

Arsenal could rely on a relationship with Havertz’s agency to push through a deal.Arsenal could rely on a relationship with Havertz’s agency to push through a deal.
Arsenal could rely on a relationship with Havertz’s agency to push through a deal. | Arsenal FC via Getty Images

The signing of Lookman would certainly be a coup after his stats last year. Those performances came under praise by former Liverpool and Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers, who worked with the player when on loan at the Foxes in 2021 and 2022.

Rodgers told talkSPORT: “He has done absolutely brilliantly there [at Atalanta], so I am so happy, the goals he scored!

“He scored some massive goals for me at Leicester, he scored the winning goal in a game against Liverpool at home, it was a brilliant individual goal. But I am so, so pleased for him because he has travelled the world to be the best player that he can be and I am so happy he has flourished his talents on such a big occasion.

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"I go back to my first night here at Celtic, I met Ade when he knew he was going to leave Charlton. We had looked to get him up here at the time but it was so early in the window that by the time the window finished, we couldn't afford him. The money was too much and he ended up going to Everton. We always kept in contact so when I was at Leicester and he was at Red Bull [Leipzig], we had the chance to take him on loan.

“So I took him in and he was absolutely brilliant. What a professional he is, the way he looks after himself, the extra work he does in training. Those goals that he scored, he practices those after training, he would always do extra training. His professionalism was unbelievable.”

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