Wednesday evening, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain will cross the iron in the arena of the Parc des Princes for a place in the Champions League final. But while the spotlights will rob the green rectangle, another much more cozy battle is playing behind the scenes. The object of the dispute? ADEMOLA Lookman, the Atalanta striker, who sharpens London as well as Parisians. This unexpected duel to attach the services of the Nigerian comes to give an additional dimension to an already loaded rivalry.
Lookman already knows the scent of PSG. Last summer, the capital's club tried to enlist it at the very end of the transfer window, before changing its mind, leaving the player in misunderstanding. Since then, the Nigerian has not forgotten. Better still, he saw his rating exploding after a 2023-2024 season crowned by a hat-trick in the Europa League final and a coronation of African player of the year. Suffice to say that its profile now checks all the boxes of a major transfer. And while Paris returns to the charge, Arsenal invites himself into the file, with the ambition of repatriating the former player of Everton to London.
In the shadow of PSG-Arsenal, another burning issue
For Lookman, the time for major decisions has come. Seduced by a return to the Premier League, however, he does not deviate from the idea of joining a workforce as ambitious as that of PSG. But on the Parisian side, a major interrogation remains: where to store the Nigerian in an already saturated offensive sector? Between Dembélé, Barcola, Kvaratskhelia, Gifted or Kang-in Lee, the traffic jam is real. The Lookman file could therefore mask a possible departure or a tactical redefinition to come.
PSG -A: the biggest blow may not be played on the lawn
Committing to Lookman is also sending a message. That of a club that anticipates, which no longer wants to let the talents spin. But in the current context, Paris is also likely to come up against a human management problem. The arrival of the Nigerian would not fail to redistribute certain cards … or to create tensions. A data that Arsenal could well exploit to take the advantage in this discreet battle.
If the outcome of the shock between PSG and Arsenal will be written on the lawn, the future of Ademola Lookman, it may well be sealed behind the scenes. Between sports ambitions, souls and casting strategy, the “fight” is indeed engaged. And as often, it could be played on a detail. The kind of detail that changes everything, even without a ball.
