Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman has been tipped to win the Ballon d’Or award by his club manager Gian Piero Gasperini.
Lookman, who had a stellar season with both Atalanta and Nigeria, is the only African on the final 30-man list of nominees for the prestigious award.

The 26-year-old attacker scored 17 goals and provided 10 assists in the 2023-2024 season, including a historic hattrick in the Europa League final to help La Dea to their first ever continental trophy.
Pay Attention: Get the best tips from our Bet of the Day.
Also on the international front, Lookman’s three goals and one assist in the AFCON 2023 tournament helped the Super Eagles to the final.
He has started this season in similar fashion, scoring three goals and providing three assists in seven games so far.

In recent outings for Nigeria, Lookman has scored twice in three Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches, but on Friday against Libya, his beautiful goal was mistakenly disallowed for offside.
Despite these impressive performances, the former Everton man is not the favourite for the Ballon d’Or, with either Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. or Manchester City midfielder Rodri likely to clinch the award.
Gasperini backs Ademola Lookman for Ballon d’Or

However, Gasperini has thrown his full weight behind his player, Lookman, stating he is casting his vote for the Nigerian for his input in Atalanta’s Europa League triumph.
”My personal Ballon d’Or vote would go to Ademola Lookman,” Gasperini said, via Tutto Atalanta.
“His magic skills helped us to win the Europa League,” he added.
While Lookman may not be the frontrunner for the Ballon d’Or, he’ll likely hope that his manager’s vote, along with others, will propel him into the top-10 potentially surpassing Victor Osimhen’s eighth-place finish in 2023.