The Nigerian Ademola Lookman has become one of the most prominent headlines ahead of the clash between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona in the Copa del Rey, after his name had been linked on more than one occasion with the Catalan club without the deal being completed.

According to the Spanish newspaper 'Mundo Deportivo', the player now represents a direct threat to the team that previously had him on their radar.

Lookman made a strong start with Atletico Madrid, scoring four goals in eight matches, including six starts, and managed to find the net in all three competitions the team participated in: La Liga, the UEFA Champions League, and the Copa del Rey. This comes before the anticipated match against Barcelona, which had previously been linked with signing him when they were looking for an attacking winger.

The report explained that Lookman's name, the former Atalanta player, appeared repeatedly in Catalan media, either as an option on the management's table or through offers reaching the offices of Camp Nou, but the deal was ultimately not finalized.

The same source indicated that his transfer to Atletico happened a few weeks ago, making him now one of the key offensive players the team relies on, especially after the big 4-0 win in the first leg, a result that gives a clear advantage to the Madrid team before the second leg.

In the first leg, Lookman scored the third goal and assisted the fourth for his teammate Julian Alvarez, in a strong attacking performance against coach Hans Flick's team.

The report also stated that coach Diego Simeone tried deploying him on the left flank before the match, confirming that one way to limit the threat of Lamine Yamal, who shone with a hat-trick against Villarreal, is to force him into defensive roles in a direct confrontation with Lookman.