Four-cap Super Eagles striker Simy Nwankwo has weighed in on the ongoing transfer saga between Ademola Lookman and Atalanta, Soccernet.ng reports.
The 27-year-old has made it clear he wants to exit Bergamo, with Inter Milan being his sole interest. The Nerazzuri have submitted three offers, all of which Atalanta declined.
In turn, Lookman decided to stop training with La Dea, taking it a step further by making himself absent from the team’s preseason fixtures.
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Another Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen, suffered the same thing with Napoli, as the Serie A Champions made the transfer situation of the prolific goalscorer complicated.
Simy, who’s spent the majority of his senior career in Italy, weighed in on the treatment of Nigerian players by Italian clubs.
“It’s a sensitive one, from the outside it’s very difficult to know what’s going on, but also it’s a situation where we as footballers have dreams, we have ambitions, and when we are in a team,” the 33-year-old said in quotes revealed by Complete Sports.
“I’m talking now as an African, a Nigerian, because I know how we think and how we react to things. When we are in a team, we give our best, we give everything, and at the same time, we demand that you show us respect.
“If I give you a lot, I expect that when I make a demand, something that I feel is good for me that you too should also compromise and be like in partnership with me, but it’s not only with Nigerian players you can see the situation with Alexander Isak, he has given his best and it’s because he’s a good player that’s why all this is happening, if he’s not having a good season the club would want him out.
“Now he’s doing well and wants the next step in his career. The talk is that he’s not being grateful.
“Like I said, I had my own situation, but I didn’t fight with the club for my own personal reasons. The lads in the last couple of years, it’s been crazy.
“I think it’s been very unfair. Napoli was very unfair to Victor because you can’t tell me that after 33 years someone comes in and brings you a trophy, because he’s someone I know very well, I know how much he gave.
“People talk about how much Napoli gave him but they forgot to talk about how much he gave, and when he made a demand they tried to make it difficult and people outside didn’t know what was going on it’s always the player’s fault, we are use to it but at the end of the day he’s happy where he is that’s all that matters.
The Crotone record goalscorer mentioned that Atalanta are being unfair to not grant the CAF Player of the Year his wish to join Inter Milan.
“For Ademola, he has given everything, scored a hat-trick in the Europa League final and wanted the next step for his career.
“Last year, it was PSG he was blocked, now it’s Inter Milan they are blocking it. I think it’s a shame when clubs behave like this.
“You have to come to a compromise with the players, and you have to also look at their dreams, you don’t have to be selfish to think only about yourself, because if he’s not doing well, like not giving 100% he would have been pushed out.
“When he gives you everything for three years and makes a demand to step up, I think the club should have the sensibility to understand that he’s also a man and we play with numbers like age, so on a personal note, it’s shameful with what is going on.
Quizzed about the advice he’ll send to Lookman, given his transfer dilemma, Nwankwo said;
“I don’t think Ademola needs any advice, he’s a top professional, relationship with the fans would be what it would be, the fans would always be selfish, everywhere in the world.
“They don’t care about you, as long as you are winning for them, you owe them, I’m used to it, even in the big clubs, the small clubs, even in Nigeria.
“It’s the same everywhere, the fans don’t know the dynamics of things going on inside and at the end of the day, they will only say what they see in the news.
“Like I said, I don’t have to tell Ademola anything, he’s a top professional and would know how to handle the situation, he has his team, his family, current African Player of the Year and deserves total and maximum respect from every party involved – The club, the fans, he is no player less than anybody and should be treated as one of the top players in the world,” the former Parma striker concluded.
Inter Milan are unwilling to increase their fee for Lookman, and have gone on to sign 22-year-old Andy Alune Diouf from RC Lens for €25m, less than half of what La Dea demanded for the England-born Nigerian forward.