Brendan Rodgers reveals how close he came to bringing Atalanta dazzler Lookman to Celtic

Manager Brendan Rodgers has revealed how close he came to bringing Ademola Lookman to Celtic in his first spell in charge of the Hoops.

The Northern Irishman has been keeping tabs on the Atalanta dazzler since he was a schoolboy at Charlton Athletic.

Lookman was once one of the most highly sought after talents in the English Football League after breaking through at the Addicks and attracted interest from several European clubs but opted to move to Everton in the Premier League in January 2017. 

It is believed that Lookman's proposed move to Celtic did not materialize because the Scottish Premiership champions were priced out of a move. 

Rodgers eventually got his man in 2021, signing him on a season-long loan while he was coaching Leicester City.

The Nigeria international will pause his relationship with Rodgers at least for 90 minutes on Wednesday evening when Celtic and Atalanta lock horns on matchday three of the UEFA Champions League.

Speaking at Tuesday's press conference, Rodgers was asked to share his comments on his relationship with Lookman in the past and how close the winger was to joining Celtic. 

In quotes relayed by The National, he responded: "How close was he to signing? Close in the fact that he was really excited by the project of Celtic. I met him in a hotel in London and we were looking to convince him to come. Sadly, we just couldn't get to the levels that Charlton wanted for him.

"But the club did everything they possibly could at that time. He was at Charlton at the time, he wanted to join a big club. He didn't feel those pressures and everything of why a player would want to come to Celtic.

"Charlton clearly were wanting to get as much as they possibly could for him. We spoke to him, from a personal perspective. It was a move that should have helped him and his representatives. He was very clear on that.

"But obviously it was a financial sum in the end. I think he went from maybe £11 million or something to Everton. It just drifted away from us. Financially it was a challenge on the fee. But wages and everything else the club could do. The player was keen in that moment. That's as close as it got.

"We’ve stayed in contact and he’s such a good guy, brilliant player. We wanted to sign him at Leicester at the time, with the chance to take him. But sadly, we couldn't sign any players that summer. Lee Congestion [the former Celtic recruitment chief now in Italy] then took him here to Atalanta. He's now a club legend.”

"He’s an absolutely brilliant young player,. We stayed in contact and when I was at Leicester, we wanted to bring in another winger and inquired about his availability when he was at Red Bull.

"And he came in and he was absolutely brilliant for me in that season, he was there, he scored some outstanding goals. I remember a great individual goal against Liverpool."

Rodgers added: "I'm so proud of him and the career that he's had because he's a young guy who came out of London and wasn't scared to travel. Going to Germany at the time and obviously coming up to the northwest of England, to Everton.

"When he came to Leicester, you could see everything he was. He leads his life in the right way. Everything is geared towards being the best he can be. Watching him in that Europa League final, the goals he scored were not by accident.

"He practiced that every day of his life where he could. He would be out with a bag of balls, doing shooting exercises long after everyone else had gone in. Working on his right foot and left foot.

"He's so balanced. He can shoot up his right foot the same as his left foot. He's an absolutely incredible young professional. To see him score the hat-trick in the final last year was absolutely amazing."

Lookman, Atalanta's Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons, has picked up where he left off last season, registering six goal involvements in eight matches across all competitions. 

On the international stage, the Ballon d'Or nominee scored a brace to help the Super Eagles thrash Benin's Cheetahs 3-0 in a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier last month.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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