Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has urged Ademola Lookman to remain patient and work hard as the Nigerian forward struggles to regain his best form this season.
Lookman joined Atletico from Atalanta during the winter transfer window and made an impressive impact in the second half of last season, scoring nine goals and providing four assists in 24 appearances across all competitions.
However, the 2024 African Footballer of the Year has managed just two goals in 14 appearances this season, raising concerns about his declining form.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday ahead of Atletico’s Champions League clash against Bayern Munich, Simeone acknowledged Lookman’s difficult spell but expressed confidence in his ability to turn things around.
The Argentine manager cited teammates Julián Álvarez and Antoine Griezmann as examples of players who experienced difficult periods before rediscovering their form.
In comments relayed by Futbol Fantasy, Simeone said: “Well, I don’t know if you spoke with him personally, if he’s playing somewhere he doesn’t want to be.
“The truth is, I think his season didn’t start the way he would have liked, but Julián also went through a difficult time last year and then came out on top, and Griezmann, remember, when he wasn’t scoring goals, he came back.
“This is work, this is believing in what you do. We believe, as I’ve been saying in almost every press conference about Lookman, in the importance he has for us, because he’s one of the players who has the most one-on-one duels in the final third, in the closing stages, where, obviously, a goal can come. And I have a lot of faith in him.”
Simeone also warned Lookman against allowing his current struggles to affect his confidence, insisting that difficult moments are part of football.
“I don’t want him to get frustrated because he’s not going through his best moment, because it’s part of life, part of the game, part of football, and there are moments you have to go through until one day he starts scoring a goal, starts playing better, starts assisting, starts feeling, obviously, more alive, as players obviously feel,” he added.
Lookman, who has recorded two goal involvements in the Champions League so far this season, is yet to start a match in the competition this campaign. He has featured as a substitute against Liverpool, Manchester United and Stuttgart.
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