Lookman, Chivu's Dream "Tridente" Piece at Inter Milan

MILAN, FRIDAY – Ademola Lookman has become a hot topic this week following reports that Inter Milan has made an official offer to acquire the Atalanta winger. This maneuver by the club nicknamed "I Nerazzurri" is quite surprising considering that Cristian Chivu's squad already has five forwards. This pursuit serves as an early indication of Inter's playing pattern under Chivu this season, featuring three flexible and dynamic goal predators.

Lookman has earned the status of one of the top wing forwards thanks to his performance at Atalanta, where he serves as the driving force of the attack. The Nigerian player injects energy, speed, and pressure into the opponent's defense due to his agility and ability to dribble past opposing players. Lookman is also capable of refreshing the game with quick penetrations from the left side into the heart of the opponent's defense, often catching them off guard.

The dynamics and shock effects of Lookman seem to be the common thread in the strategy that Chivu will implement at Inter Milan this season. The former defender will clearly maintain the 3-5-2 formation that was previously the hallmark of Simone Inzaghi, the former coach of Inter.

However, Chivu applied that pattern more flexibly, as seen when Inter participated in the 2025 Club World Cup. The flexibility of Inter's playing style was immediately evident in their opening match of the tournament against Monterrey. This playing pattern became a new identity for Inter in the subsequent matches until the Nerazzurri were unexpectedly eliminated by Fluminense.

In the Club World Cup event, Lautaro Martinez and his teammates were not rigid in the 3-5-2 formation and dynamically executed the 3-4-1-2 or 3-4-2-1 formations. This dynamic gameplay will become sharper with the presence of Lookman. The 27-year-old player born in London will enhance the ball flow to Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram with his solid dribbling ability.

Inter currently lacks an attacking player with Lookman's playing style. This situation made it difficult for Inter against Fluminense, who employed a low block formation, stacking their players at the back to defend tightly. In that match, Chivu even experimented with a 4-4-2 formation, amidst the Brazilian club's lack of defensive depth.

"It was a test because what we had done up to that point was not enough. We hit the goalposts and crossbar, had several opportunities. The chances could have been different, but unfortunately not today," said Chivu on the Inter Milan channel after losing 0-2 to Fluminense.

Meanwhile, when facing an opponent who employed man-to-man marking, like River Plate's in their third match of Group E at the Club World Cup, Inter found a solution. They put in a solid performance in the second half, building attacks from the back. Then, their attacking players connected, resulting in two unanswered goals.

Inter's attack is now the focus of Chivu's polishing, aiming to create variety and surprises. Lookman, with his strong dribbling skills, appears to be the key to Chivu's flexible three-man attack formation. This trident formation is clearly unlike the old Serie A style of the 1980s and 1990s.

If Lookman were to join Inter, they would have six strikers, which would be too many to field just two.

The five attacking players currently owned by Inter are Martinez, Thuram, Ange-Yoan Bonny who was brought in from Parma, 19-year-old striker Francesco Pio Esposito, and Davide Frattesi who is reported to have extended his contract with Inter. Meanwhile, Joaquin Correa and Marko Arnautovic have been released by Inter.

I could be wrong, but right now I still think Inter are the strongest. Even more so if Lookman comes. (Christian Vieri)

However, the transfer of Lookman is not yet final. Atalanta, as reported by Italian media, has not agreed to the 40 million euro offer from Inter. Atalanta has set a price of 50 million euros for their winger without any discounts. Currently, both teams are still in the negotiation process. Atalanta is playing its cards carefully as there are other clubs interested in recruiting Lookman, namely Atletico Madrid.

If Inter can bring in Lookman, the Nerazzurri squad is considered to become very strong. This was stated by the living legend of Italian football, Christian “Bobo” Vieri. He also assessed that currently, Inter is the strongest squad in Serie A.

"I could be wrong, but right now I still think Inter are the strongest. Even more so if Lookman comes," the former striker told La Gazzetta dello Sport on Thursday.