NEW Atalanta head coach Raffaele Palladino has admitted that Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman is key to his plans to turn around the club’s fortunes.
Palladino was presented at a press conference today after replacing Ivan Juric, who was sacked last week following poor results.
Lookman clashed with Juric days before the coach was sacked, and the Nigeria international has been plotting a move away from Atalanta since last season.
Palladino, who claimed he had other offers but waited for Atalanta, discussed his tactical strategy and sent a positive message to Lookman.
“Modification? I’m not a hardliner, but I’m open to understanding every single aspect,” Palladino said, regarding his tactics.
“I want to give this team the right look, I think they’re suited to a 3-4-2-1: I know the system well, they have the right characteristics.
He then added about the Nigeria forward: “Lookman is crucial, I called him, as well as all the others who were on the national team.
“He presented himself very well, I’ll evaluate his deployment based on the training he does.”