Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Tottenham made a late move for a Serie A star, proposing a loan deal with an option to buy.

After Manchester City made it clear that Savinho would not be leaving, with Pep Guardiola’s side refusing to entertain offers for the Brazilian, Tottenham Hotspur were forced to look elsewhere in the market. One player who emerged as a late-window link was Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman, with reports suggesting the Serie A club were open to a sale if the right offer came in.

The Nigerian forward, who scored 20 goals last season, attracted interest from several European clubs, and Tottenham were among those closely monitoring him. Some reports even claimed Fabio Paratici pushed hard to try and make a deal happen on deadline day.

According to Fabrizio Romano, however, the move never gathered momentum. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the journalist revealed that Spurs did consider Lookman but eventually shifted focus to Randal Kolo Muani. Romano explained that Tottenham explored the idea of a loan move—possibly with an option to buy—but Atalanta dismissed the proposal immediately.

“He was an option for Tottenham,” Romano confirmed. “Before going all in for Randal Kolo Muani, Spurs considered Lookman. Different profiles—one’s a winger, the other a striker—but Tottenham were thinking about a similar kind of deal, maybe a loan with a buy option. Atalanta’s response was clear: no chance. Bayern even tried with an official bid that got rejected. Tottenham thought about it, but it was never realistic. For now, Lookman stays at Atalanta unless something unexpected happens in the few markets still open.”

While Spurs had made strengthening the wide areas a priority, it’s clear Lookman was never at the top of their wishlist. The club’s main target was Savinho, to the extent that they were ready to break their transfer record for the Manchester City winger—a statement of intent about the calibre of player they truly wanted.

Lookman, on the other hand, was seen more as a short-term alternative. Despite having the financial means to pursue him, Tottenham did not feel strongly enough to meet Atalanta’s demands. In the end, Spurs chose not to press ahead, making it clear that their interest lacked the conviction required to force through a deal.