Atlético Madrid spent a decade organising its attack around Antoine Griezmann. Now that he is gone, to Orlando City of all places, Diego Simeone appears to have settled on his successor — and, according to ONE, it is Ademola Lookman.
Griezmann's departure this summer, confirmed back in March and finalised when the transfer window opened in July, closed out ten years in which he became one of the defining attacking figures of the Simeone era. His move to Orlando City, on a two-year MLS deal, leaves a real void at the top of the Atlético side.
Lookman arrived in Madrid before Griezmann had even left, signed from Atalanta last winter for a reported €35 million on a contract running until 2030. The Nigeria international scored within weeks of his debut and has been positioned by Simeone as the player to carry the attacking load going forward.
The timing matters. Julián Álvarez's own long-term future at the club is clouded by Barcelona's pursuit of him — a saga serious enough that Spain's federation has opened disciplinary proceedings against Barcelona over alleged unauthorised approaches. With that uncertainty hanging over the Argentine, ONE reports Simeone has extra reason to build his forward line around a player he trusts to stay and lead it.
Lookman offered an early demonstration of why. In Atlético's preseason opener against Getafe in Los Angeles, which the Rojiblancos won 4-1, he needed barely five minutes of game time to score twice, both goals arriving in the first half — the kind of instinctive, predatory finishing that made him one of Serie A's most feared forwards.
Simeone's own assessment, relayed by ONE, is more measured than gushing. "Lookman brings us goals, more goals than overall play," the coach said. "He can still improve his overall play and defensive work. We need him to adapt to the team's way of playing in those aspects." It reads less like faint praise than a coach setting out exactly what he expects from his new focal point.
Tactically, ONE reports Simeone is using Lookman as a second striker who drifts left, rather than pinning him to a fixed wing role — an attempt to let him hunt space and finish chances rather than track back as a orthodox winger, while still demanding the defensive discipline Atlético sides are built on.
The dressing room appears to be buying in early. ONE reports that captain Koke has already talked up the Nigerian's importance to the group, describing him in terms that suggest the squad sees him as the new spearhead rather than just another summer arrival.
According to ONE's numbers, Lookman was directly involved in a goal every 106 minutes for Atalanta last season and scored roughly every 153 minutes, with 20 assists to his name — figures the outlet says made him more efficient in front of goal last term than either Griezmann or Álvarez.
What Atlético are banking on, beyond the output, is character: a forward who demands the ball, takes responsibility in big moments, and carries the same decisive streak that defined his three seasons turning Atalanta into a Champions League regular. Replacing a ten-year totem is never simple, but Simeone's early signs suggest he believes he has found the man to try.
