Ademola Lookman ~ Player Scouting Report

/ Player Analysis

A deep dive on Ademola Lookman’s profile and how he’s deservedly been crowned as Africa’s finest in no time

Career Overview:

Lookman’s stints at clubs like Everton, RB Leipzig, Fulham and Leicester City were far from ideal for his being, struggling to find his footing. Redeemed himself in the final step and a humble learning curve took him to Atalanta

His swift progress at Atalanta made him an ascension as a potent goal scoring/creating route now comes through Lookman under Gasperini. Consistent exceptional seasons had him in the Ballon D’or nominations + propelled him to stardom as African POTY

The most notable moment in his career came at the end of last season when he etched his name in UEFA Europa League’s history book scoring a hat-trick against the invincible Bayer Leverkusen in the final – a monumental night for Atalanta as well

Ademola Lookman is versatile and potent attacker that looks hungry everytime he gets on the ball. Dribbling being his bread and butter, he’s very electric in keeping defenders on the back foot and taking advantage with his trickery and quick feet

Firstly, let’s look at his player profile:
Age: 27
Club: Atalanta
Position: LW/AM/CF
Foot: Right
Nationality: Nigerian
Value: €44M
Height: 5’9
Avg SofaScore rating: 7.51

Strengths: Dribbling, Playmaking, Ball Carrying, Weak Foot usage
Weaknesses: Physicality, Precision

Role at Atalanta/Nigeria:

Putting dynamics to display under Gasperini’s tactics, Lookman fits in bringing instant offensive output with his phenomenal technical ability. Often holding the width, he likes to drive inwards and getting into the mix of shots/passes himself

For Nigeria, Lookman acts as the driving force looking to carry + create for teammates majorly. Works in tandem with forwards to unlock defences whilst creating the momentum in big games due to his persona of a big match player

Playstyle – In Possession

In Atalanta’s 3-4-2-1/3-4-1-2 shapes – Lookman looks to be the target man profile at CF that poaches + creates, whilst also deployed as a traditional winger in systems. Convincing skills in attack make him a high octane profile and unpredictable offensive force disrupting defences

An agile body that lets him shift to different angles and find shots – faces up his man in a dribbling battle – taking smaller steps to keep the ball in his favoured proximity through which then he creates small separations to keep the defenders on the back foot – Real Madrid goal

Lookman is a powerful runner with the ball, using his body superbly to create separations from oncoming press. The Nigerian’s behind the lines threat alongside some ccontrolled pace can terrorise defences – intent worthy movements

Weak foot, what’s that? Two footed ballstriker where he can easily replicate the best of the shots whilst in unfavourable positions – deceptions with changes of pace + feints > finesse shots with placements or trademark near post shots, he’s got top ball striking

Associative player as a creative winger opting for movements from teammates for his dust of vision. Statistically and visually his ability boasts of him being a team player – sharpness in linking up play + actively roaming + exploiting gaps in defensive lines with a fantastic first touch

Lookman’s passing under pressure in tight spaces is another precise factor that divides him from the rest. His opening up of the body + receiving the ball with one touch passes helps in progressing. Short layoffs + diagonals to FBs + through ball crosses add to the fluidity in attack

Dropping deep to receive + connect play can come with some selfishness in crosses/passes – but in a positive way. A dynamic profile in attack to build your team with;

5.56 shot creating actions per90
5.09 progressive carries per90
7.29 touches in attacking penalty area per90
82% percentile in cross accuracy

Playstyle – Out of Possession:

Normative with his pressing routines where he understands the right moments to contribute defensively. Whilst initiating a press, he’ll look to use the most of his agility + pace to close down passing lanes and pressurise opponents from the first phase of build up.

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System driven with his off the ball work where he prefers minimal movements to stick by the OOP structure. Decent with his work rate – helps out the fullbacks by doubling up on the flanks to minimise danger through the flanks using his mobility and transitional threat

Livewire in reading the game OOP with exceptional spatial awareness—constantly scanning the pitch to identify openings and interpret evolving positions. Jogs around purposefully across the pitch to scan for space, teammates’ movements, and opposition gaps.

As far as his positional duties go – he has his bias towards the left side – carrying/receiving the ball from the left as an outlet/decoy runner. Very rarely does he prefer to switch flanks to the RHS but that could also be more due to the coaches instructions

Lastly, he’s got that natural maverick trait in his gameplay of taking things onto himself – goals against rivals and in important fixtures like last seasons UEL final gives you that additional reassurance of having a player of his caliber

Areas to Improve:

Although being a hardworking player looking to help out defensively, he lacks the consistent physicality to do so. His frame doesn’t let him hold ground whilst battling duels in offensive/defensive play

Precision in shooting at goal comes with rushed shot and miscalculated hits from promising positions, which can get frustrating at times. Finding the composure can elevate his attacking prowess.

Conclusion:

Ademola Lookman’s off the pitch improvements along with a stable environment in Bergamo has correlated on his performances, showcasing what trust and hardwork together can do to a career.

Can hold the line playing as a subordinate to the CF > provide creative backup on the RW > nailed down top talent to start at LW for any club – speaks volumes of Lookman’s versatility and why he could be on a big move in the near future

Winning the African Footballer of the Year is a personal triumph of the hardships faced by the Nigerian. A reward to a stellar 2023/24 campaign, serving as an inspiration for many footballers dreaming to work in the similar set of footsteps

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