Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone has praised Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman’s attacking intelligence, saying the club will take time to identify his best position within the team. 

Lookman, who signed for Atletico Madrid during the winter transfer window, made his debut in Thursday night’s Copa del Rey match at the Estadio La Cartuja.

The Nigerian international made an immediate impact, scoring a goal and setting up another as Atletico Madrid ran out 5–0 winners to reach the semifinals. 

Speaking during the press conference ahead of Sunday's La Liga clash against Real Betis, Simeone said both the player and the team are still getting familiar with each other. 

The Argentine tactician noted that Lookman will learn Atletico’s system while the coaching staff studies his qualities to ensure he is deployed effectively. 

"We'll try to get to know each other better. He'll get to know the team, and we'll get to know his strengths. He has the vision to attack, and we'll work with the team to find the best approach," Simone said as quoted by Fichajes.  

Lookman was deployed in attack alongside Antoine Griezmann in the Copa del Rey win, with Julián Álvarez and Alexander Sørloth absent. 

However, with both forwards expected to return for the league fixture against Betis, Simeone is likely to have more tactical options as he continues to assess Lookman’s best role in the squad.

Adeyemi Adewale