Ademola Lookman for Atletico Madi
Atlético Madrid strengthened with Ademola Lookman. The 28-year-old Nigerian attacker comes from the Italian Atalanta and signs a contract in the Spanish capital until June 2030. Lookman has played football for Atalanta since the summer of 2022. In Bergamo he scored 55 times and provided 27 assists in 137 games. Last week he played with the Italian team on the last matchday of the Champions League competition phase against Union (1-0 defeat). In May 2024, he was the big hero with three goals in the final (3-0) of the Europa League against the German Bayer Leverkusen.
The striker has scored eleven goals in 41 international matches for the Nigerian national team. Atlético will be the opponent of Club Brugge in the interim round of the Champions League in a few weeks.
Roman Yaremchuk (ex-Club and Ghent) to Olympique Lyon
Roman Yaremchuk continues his career in Ligue 1 at Olympique Lyon. The 30-year-old attacker comes on loan from the Greek top club Olympiacos. Yaremchuk is still Club Brugge’s incoming record transfer. Blauw-zwart paid no less than seventeen million euros to Benfica for his services in the summer of 2022.
Nicolas Frutos leaves La Louvière and is on his way to Charleroi as reinforcement for the sporting department
However, Yaremchuk was never able to live up to the high expectations in the Jan Breydel Stadium. In 32 games for the Bruges team, he scored only six goals. After a loan to Valencia, Olympiacos took him over permanently in the summer of 2024. There he scored 14 goals in 49 matches over the past year and a half.
The 65-time Ukrainian international had his best spell between August 2017 and July 2021 at AA Gent. There he scored 61 times in 152 matches. Benfica then took him away from the Arteveldestad.
Daniel MIHAILESCU / AFP
Now follows an adventure at Olympique Lyon. The French pay Olympiacos one and a half million euros to rent the striker until the end of the season. The deal also included a purchase option of five million euros.
At Lyon he finds Clinton Mata, his former teammate at Club Brugge. There are also two Belgians under contract: Malick Fofana and Orel Mangala. Lyon is currently fourth in Ligue 1, with 39 points after 20 matchdays. Leader PSG has nine points more.
With some delay: Anderlecht had to exercise patience, but Mathys Angély’s latest transfer is still official
Karim Benzema makes a sensitive switch to Al Hilal
Karim Benzema makes a striking transfer in Saudi Arabia. The 38-year-old French attacker leaves Al Ittihad and moves to Al Hilal, currently the leader in the Saudi Pro League. Al Hilal confirmed Benzema’s arrival on Monday evening. Benzema spent fourteen years at Real Madrid, which took him away from Olympique Lyon in his home country of France in 2009. He won a lot of silverware at the Royal, including the Champions League five times (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2022). In 2022 he received the Golden Ball (Ballon d’Or). In the summer of 2023, he left Real, after 354 goals and 156 assists in 648 games, for an adventure at Al Ittihad.
At Al Ittihad he scored 54 goals and seventeen assists in 83 matches. Tensions have reportedly arisen between the Frenchman and the club in recent weeks about a possible contract extension.
Crystal Palace breaks club record for Norwegian striker
Jørgen Strand Larsen moves from Wolverhampton Wanderers to Crystal Palace within the Premier League. The Londoners actually had 48 million pounds (more than 55 million euros) for the 25-year-old Norwegian attacker. Immediately a club record for the Eagles. Strand Larsen signs for four and a half years. At the slow Wolves, he scored six goals and two assists in 26 matches.
Palace has a replacement for Jean-Philippe Mateta. The French striker was meant to move to AC Milan, but Mateta failed his medical tests. In addition, the 28-year-old Frenchman has to undergo surgery and will be out for three to four months. Strand Larsen will definitely be Palace’s first choice.
Mercato from Union is done: national champion clocks in with three newcomers and the same number of departures
Allan Saint-Maximin leaves Mexico after racism towards his children
Allan Saint-Maximin has left Mexican Club America with immediate effect. The 28-year-old French winger had his contract terminated due to racism towards his children. He will work for the French RC Lens, the current number two in Ligue 1.
In a statement on Instagram, Saint-Maximin addresses the racist messages. “The problem is not the skin color, but the color of the thoughts. I don’t care if people attack me. I grew up and learned to fight back against attacks, whether they are hidden or open. But one thing I will never tolerate is people attacking my children.”
“Protecting my children is my priority and I will fight with all my might to ensure that they are respected and loved, regardless of their origin or skin color. Hate and discrimination have no place in our society,” he stressed. “I want my children to grow up in a world where they can be themselves and not have to deal with this absurd and senseless behavior that only aims to destroy and divide.”
“So to those who dared to attack my children, I say: you made a mistake. I will always fight to protect my family, and there is no person or threat that can scare me. The only person on this earth who scares me is God,” said Saint-Maximin.
His announcement at RC Lens is already worth gold.
Simon Adingra falls under the care of Sébastien Pocognoli
Adingra had disappeared into the background at Sunderland, and now that the Premier League revelation has been strengthened with Anderlecht winger Nilson Angulo, there was no room for him anymore. The 24-year-old Ivorian left winger goes on loan, with a purchase option, to AS Monaco of coach Sébastien Pocognoli. At Sunderland, Adingra only managed one goal and one assist in 15 official matches. In the 2022/2023 season, Adingra played football in Belgium for Union Sint-Gillis.
George Ilenikhena (ex-Antwerp) to the desert
Adingra okay, but there is also outgoing traffic at AS Monaco. For example, George Ilenikhena is the new acquisition of the Saudi Al Ittihad. The transfer was officially announced on Tuesday afternoon. The 19-year-old attacker played in 20 matches for the Monegasques, scoring four times.
Ilenikhena is best known to the Belgian public for his period at Antwerp. Since the Great Old not only sold the Nigerian teenager for 18.75 million euros a year and a half ago, but also demanded 10 percent on resale, it is now passing through the box office again. According to French media, the basic amount of Ilenikhena’s transfer is now 30 million. This means that more than 1.1 million could soon be transferred to RAFC.
Ilenikhena is reunited with Mahamadou Doumbia, another former Antwerp player, at Al Ittihad. The Malian switched from the Great Old in September. Jan-Carlo Simic, who came over from Anderlecht last summer, is also under contract with the team of coach Sergio Conceiçao (ex-Standard).
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