Newly crowned African Player of the Year, Ademola Lookman, has seen his market value rise to €55m, marking a €15m increase, as reported by Transfermarkt.
This surge places the Nigerian winger as Nigeria’s second most valuable player, trailing Victor Osimhen (€75m) and surpassing Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface (€45m).
Lookman, who claimed the 2024 CAF Player of the Year award on Monday, triumphed over top contenders including Simon Adingra (Ivory Coast), Achraf Hakimi (Morocco), Ronwen Williams (South Africa), and Serhou Guirassy (Guinea). He also achieved a notable 14th place finish in the 2024 Ballon d’Or rankings.
The 27-year-old has experienced a meteoric rise over the past two seasons. At the end of 2023, Lookman was valued at €30m, but his exceptional performances, including a hat-trick in Atalanta’s UEFA Europa League final win over Leverkusen, propelled his worth by €25m to €55m in just 12 months—a remarkable 83.33% increase.
Jatin Dietl, Transfermarkt’s Italy Area Manager, commended Lookman’s transformative year:
“Lookman’s 2024 has been exceptional, culminating in his African Ballon d’Or win. His contributions to Atalanta’s historic European success and their current league dominance underline his value.”
The winger has attracted interest from European giants such as PSG, Arsenal, and Liverpool. However, Atalanta President Antonio Percassi has dismissed any possibility of a January move, stating:
“Our plan is not to make any changes in the January window.”
Lookman’s exceptional form and increasing value continue to position him as one of Africa’s brightest footballing talents.