Atalanta manager Ivan Juric has revealed that Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman was misled during the summer transfer saga that saw his move to Inter Milan collapse.

Lookman had pushed to leave Atalanta in August after the club blocked his transfer. The 27-year-old even handed in a request and briefly went AWOL in an attempt to force the deal. However, Atalanta stood firm and kept hold of the Super Eagles attacker.

After Sunday’s 3-0 Serie A win against Torino, Lookman came off the bench late in the game. Juric later confirmed that the winger had already spoken to his teammates about the situation and was now focused on moving forward.

“He spoke to me and the team on Monday. He was surrounded by people who gave him bad advice,” Juric said. “Lookman has a strong winning mentality, and now the aim is to get him back to full fitness.”