In Focus: Super Eagles star Lookman is soaring with La Dea

Ademola Lookman's career has taken off since he moved to Serie A.

The Nigerian forward showed glimpses of promise in England and Germany — but few anticipated that he would scale the heights he has this season.

His quick feet and fine finishing have helped Atalanta into sixth place in Italy's top tier, with just three points separating La Dea from the Champions League spots.

And Lookman is now aiming to be the difference-maker in today's Africa Cup of Nations qualifying clash with Guinea-Bissau after switching international allegiance to the Super Eagles last year.

Finally At home

Lookman has spent much of his career searching for the right club.

The Wandsworth native came through Charlton's academy ranks before earning a move to Everton, where he made 48 appearances for the Toffees.

His potential attracted the attention of RB Leipzig but he failed to nail down a first-team berth with Die Roten Bullen, so was loaned out to both Fulham and Leicester.

Lookman appears to have finally found a home in Bergamo and recently explained his decision to join Atalanta last summer.

Speaking earlier this year, he said: "I had a few offers in England and I was thinking, 'What do I really need next season?'

"I sat down with my family and with Atalanta coming in, we just made up our minds that this was another stage in the journey that we need to go through, because we felt like it was important that there was another layer added to me."

On the goal trail

Lookman is a versatile attacker and has been deployed across Atalanta's forward line this season.

He has bagged 12 league goals — nine from open play — and registered four assists.

The 25-year-old has been particularly clinical in the final third — hitting the target 23 times, scoring eight big chances and dispatching all three of his penalties. He falls inside Serie A's top five players for each of those metrics.

La Dea's No11 also consistently gets into dangerous areas and ranks joint-seventh in the competition for touches in the opposition box (116).

Gasp of delight

Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini has undoubtedly been pleased with the impact that Lookman has had in Bergamo.

The Italian veteran said: "He [Lookman] played right away, he was always involved in matches. He immediately showed that he has experience, he had significant growth in clubs where they know football.

"He was at Leipzig, then he played in England. There he was employed a bit distant from goal, but I immediately realised that he had the right characteristics for what we've been looking for for some time.

"[Atalanta sporting director] Lee Congerton was very good, he had already seen the team play from February-March.

"There were important negotiations with other players, but he was always convinced of the characteristics of Lookman and how I played and how I wanted to use him."

More strings to his bow

Where Lookman truly shines is on the ball and he lays on plenty of scoring opportunities for his team-mates.

This term, he has completed 31 take-ons in Serie A — the ninth-most in the division — as well as creating a commendable 33 chances and nine big opportunities.

And Nigeria head coach Jose Peseiro believes that is what sets him apart from another of their key forwards in Victor Osimhen.

He said: "Ademola is more technical than Osimhen, more inclined to create the game and who is now also scoring.

"He is performing very well this year. He grew up with Gasperini, now he is always playing. We are happy with him, high level, he too can aspire to do great things."

Wings clipped in Abuja

Lookman is currently in a scoring rut after his red-hot start.

He has failed to find the net in his previous seven league matches and was surprisingly benched for La Dea's last two top-flight fixtures.

That run of blanks continued on Friday when Nigeria lost 1-0 to Guinea-Bissau in Abuja.

But the Super Eagles have an immediate opportunity for revenge as they prepare to face Baciro Cande's men for the second time in four days.

With the support of Osihmen — who leads Serie A's Capocannoniere race — and Leicester's Kelechi Iheanacho in attack, Lookman will be desperate to head back to Bergamo with a goal and victory under his belt.