Ademola Lookman’s £50,000-a-week wages could wreck his hopes of a return to the Premier League with Crystal Palace, Watford or Burnley, as reported by The Sun (1 August, page 59).
Unfortunately for the former England U21 international, his loan spell at Fulham will always be remembered for that panenka penalty.
But as anyone who watched the Cottagers on a weekly basis will tell you, boiling Lookman’s entire season down to one stoppage-time blunder would be unfair on a man who, at times, looked like the only member of Scott Parker’s squad capable of winning games on his own.
Lookman scored a stunning individual goal against Sheffield United, terrorised Everton and Manchester United, and actually finished the season as Fulham’s second-highest goalscorer, behind only Bobby DeCordova-Reid.
His reputation has rightly survived the stain of relegation.
Is Ademola Lookman returning to the Premier League?
With the one-time Everton winger unlikely to be offered a fresh start at RB Leipzig any time soon, a handful of Premier League clubs have enquired about whether Lookman would be available on loan again.
The answer, it seems, is a resounding ‘yes’. That ‘yes’, however, will be followed by an almighty ‘but’.
Lookman’s £50,000-a-week wages are an issue. As is the £3.5 million loan fee Leipzig are demanding.
Crystal Palace, Burnley and Watford have all expressed an interest but may now turn their attention to more affordable alternatives, such as Reiss Nelson or Jovane Cabral.
Lookman, who was described as ‘exceptional’ by former Palace boss Roy Hodgson last season, would have ticked a lot of boxes for Patrick Vieira.
The former Arsenal captain is prioritising young, hungry, technically-gifted footballers who would fit into his possession-based approach, with Marc Guehi, Joachim Andersen and Michael Olise arriving for around £40 million combined.
18-year-old wonderkid Jesurun Rak-Sakyi and talented playmaker Scott Banks have dazzled in pre-season too, suggesting that they could have a part to play in the first-team next season.
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