Ademola Lookman never become a star at Everton, and although he did contribute a bit for the club in the UEFA Europa League back in the 2017/18 season, it was clear that his future lied somewhere else.
Fast forward to 2026, and Lookman has turned into one of the most underrated players in Europe, and his performances at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) were incredible. He was the lead assister in the tournament, and he scored the game-winning penalty for Nigeria in the third-place match.
Ademola Lookman laid it on a plate for his teammates at AFCON 2025 😮💨🅰️ pic.twitter.com/jqRNXmGDMB
— OneFootball (@OneFootball) January 19, 2026
Last season saw Lookman develop into a star in Serie A. He delivered 20 goal contributions in 31 league games, and in the UEFA Champions League, he scored five goals and assisted two. He is linked to several clubs in this January window, and it is not clear if he will leave Atalanta in search of a new challenge.
Lookman only scored four goals in his entire Everton career, perhaps due to his role as a winger. At Atalanta, he has played closer to the striker position, and his versatility has led him to a lot of success in Serie A and in continental play.
The recent Jack Grealish injury news is also a painful reminder of Everton’s consistent bad luck on the offensive side of the ball. What if Everton had kept Lookman? Could he have led the team to prolonged success? Would Jack Grealish still have joined Everton if that were the case?
One thing’s for certain, and it’s that while Everton have struggled to field consistent winners at the attacking positions as of late, Lookman has developed into one of the better players in Europe, and Everton can do nothing but watch him ascend.