Atalanta coach Gian Pero Gasperini has praised Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman and backed him for the African Ballon d’Or award.
Lookman has been in tremendous form since last season after helping Atalanta win the Europa League.
The winger scored a hat-trick to help La Dea advance in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen, and he had an incredible performance.
He has taken his form into the new season, having had 13 goal involvement (8 goals, 5 assists) in all competitions.
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Gasperini hails Lookman
Gasperini discussed Lookman's impact this season and expressed his opinion that he is among the world's top performers right now.
According to Goal, Gasperini said, “He (Lookman) has had a fantastic evolution. He did well right from the start, even two years ago when he played alongside Hojlund.
“He also changed his attacking partners, last year with Scamacca and this year with Retegui and De Ketelaere.
“Lookman has grown a lot, he is among the best players in the world. He can win the Ballon d’Or in Africa. He has improved a lot in the continuity with which he offers performances”.
Lookman scored the opening goal in Atalanta's UEFA Champions League match against Stuttgart on Tuesday night.
The Super Eagles star played an important role on the night as the Italian side secured a 2-0 victory in Germany.