Former Super Eagles captain Sunday Oliseh has praised Ademola Lookman for choosing a move to Atletico Madrid, describing the transfer as a smart career decision that prioritises elite football over short-term financial gain.
Lookman completed a high-profile transfer from Serie A side Atalanta to Atletico Madrid earlier this week, turning down more lucrative offers from Turkish clubs Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray to join Diego Simeone’s side in La Liga.
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Oliseh said the Nigerian forward deliberately opted for the “disciplined fire” of Simeone and the competitive demands of Spanish football rather than a bigger payday in Turkey.
The former national team captain made his comments on X (formerly Twitter) following the close of the winter transfer window and later expanded on his views during his podcast.
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According to Oliseh, Lookman’s decision sends a strong message to young Nigerian footballers about aiming for Europe’s top leagues.
“We are all professionals; we want money,” Oliseh said.
“But the mistake people make is looking at what a player will earn in one year. Lookman didn’t sign for one year; he signed for some years.
“There are other kinds of money you don’t hear about in contracts. You hear only wages. Your image rights are higher when you are playing in the Spanish league than when you are playing in the Turkish league.
“At the stage he is in his career, what he should be chasing is titles and consistency. Make money consistently and win trophies.”
Oliseh added that more financially rewarding leagues would still be available later in Lookman’s career.
“You can always go to the Turkish league at 32 or 35. You can go to Saudi Arabia at 35. Ronaldo is there at 40,” he said.
