It has been a tough season for Everton Football Club, who are fighting against relegation, have been hit with a points deduction for an FFP breach and have not won in the Premier League since 16 December.
On top of that, the club face losing two of their most important players. Amadou Onana is linked with an £80m transfer away from Goodison Park, including a potential move to Barcelona.
Jarrad Branthwaite is the other player who could depart the Toffees next summer with the 21-year-old reportedly eyed up by clubs including Manchester United.
With plenty of money potentially heading Everton’s way this summer, it is sure to help them out with FFP. However, they may have missed out on another major sale had they kept hold of a man who is now just as valuable as Branthwaite.
Ademola Lookman’s early career
It is fair to say that despite his exceptional form of late for current club Atalanta, Ademola Lookman’s Everton career did not go as he would have hoped.
The 26-year-old managed just four goals and two assists during his time at Goodison Park, which included only three goal involvements in the Premier League.
Lookman did go out on loan during his time at Everton. The Nigeria international spent the second half of the 2017/18 season in Germany playing for RB Leipzig, before returning to Everton and eventually joining them in 2019.
Since playing for Leipzig, the diminutive 5 foot 9 forward has had loan spells with Fulham and Leicester City, before finally settling in at his current club Atalanta.
Ademola Lookman’s transfer value in 2024
Having now found a home for himself in Italy, Lookman is valued at £26m according to Transfermarkt. That's quite a rise with the winger now worth just as much as the aforementioned Branthwaite as per the same source. That said, it's likely Everton would command a far greater fee to let their prized asset depart in the summer.
The Toffees initially sold Lookman for over £22m to Leipzig, who sold him on for a loss, charging Atlanta a nominal fee of just £13m in 2022. The Italian side have ended up with a superb deal considering his current value.
Since leaving Everton and settling down in Italy, Lookman has come on leaps and bounds, scoring 21 goals and registering nine assists in two seasons in Serie A so far.
Lookman’s pace in behind and diligent running of the channels makes him a potent threat on the counterattack. The 26-year-old can often be seen latching onto a through ball from a teammate as Atalanta look to exploit space in behind.
Lookman is a superb carrier into the final third, often driving towards defenders at pace before setting himself and looking for a pass or shot on the edge of the area. The Nigeria international averages 2.24 carries into the final third and 1.23 carries into the penalty box per 90 minutes, courtesy of Fbref. Such numbers rank him in the top 2% and best 7% of positionally similar players in Europe.
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He is calm and composed in front of goal, so much so that he can dummy a shot to buy himself more time or space. His 21 Serie A goals so far reflect just how clinical he can be, and according to Fbref, his non-penalty expected goals stands at 0.44 xG per 90 minutes.
It may well frustrate Everton fans that they did not keep Lookman beyond 2019. Had they done so, the Toffees may have had another star on their hands, who they could have sold for plenty more profit, or helped them on their quest for survival in the Premier League.