Kamaldeen Sulemana Scout Report At Atalanta 2025/2026: Ademola Lookman Rival Or Partner? – Player Analysis

Kamaldeen Sulemana has recently joined Atalanta from Southampton for a fee that reached £18m.

He follows his former head coach Ivan Jurić, who also had his first experience in the Premier League managing the Saints last season.

Although Jurić’s experience with Southampton was unsuccessful, leading to relegation despite high hopes for his ability to upgrade the Southampton style of play and results, he was able to return to Serie A and join a very competitive team like Atalanta at the start of this season.

Jurić brought Sulemana with him to Atalanta, and it has been obvious since the first Serie A match of the season that he is planning to rely on Sulemana regularly this term as a temporary replacement for Ademola Lookman.

The latter was linked to Inter Milan until the last days of the transfer window and wasnt 100% fit to start the campaign.

It will be useful for Jurić to have a backup option to compete with Lookman for the starting spot, even with the latter remaining in Bergamo.

Furthermore, they could alternate using both players depending on the opponent and on the players’ form and fatigue.

It is true that Lookman and Sulemana will be rivals for the same position, but it appears that Jurić is finally planning to experiment with both players simultaneously, using Lookman as a striker and Sulemana on the left wing.

This could also be an excellent way to motivate Lookman further, as he is aware that his spot at Atalanta is no longer secure and that he needs to give his best in each game to ensure his starting spot.

In the meantime, we have to be aware that during his first few appearances with Atalanta, Kamaldeen Sulemana has already made a remarkable impact on his new team’s performances and results, scoring two important goals and providing one assist out of five appearances so far.

Lets compare these numbers to those of Sulemana at Southampton.

His goal contribution rates in five matches this season almost equal those for the 2024/2025 campaign, given that he scored two goals and provided three assists in 30 games last season.

This Kamaldeen Sulemana scout report examines Kamaldeen Sulemanas profile, playing positions, and mastered roles, as well as his areas for improvement.

The analysis will also aim to compare Kamaldeen Sulemana and Ademola Lookman to assess whether this new signing can guarantee the same quality.

Kamaldeen Sulemana Profile

Kamaldeen Sulemana is a player who can be deployed in various attacking positions, providing Jurić with numerous options to rely on him in different situations, not just in competition with Lookman for a spot.

Although his main position is left winger, Sulemana has shown throughout his career that he can also play as a striker and advanced playmaker, whether as a central one or as a left/right playmaker.

Kamaldeen Sulemana Possible Positions

This means that both Lookman and Sulemana can form an advanced midfield duo in Atalanta’s 3-4-2-1 formation, with Nikola Krstović being the main striker.

Jurić can also confirm that Kamaldeen Sulemana will be the main left winger, with Lazar Samardžić on the right wing and Lookman as a striker, just as Atalanta played against Como.

These alternatives can only motivate Sulemana to keep improving his performance.

Even with Lookmans return to full fitness, he still has a high chance of playing regularly with Atalanta.

In fact, it appears that Jurić plans to experiment with Lookman in a more advanced position, exploiting his abilities as a striker, which would allow Sulemana to be the starter on the left wing.

The following graphic confirms that Sulemana can be very useful to Jurić’s attacking plans.

He can be valuable in any of these positions, primarily due to his explosive pace, ability to change directions with agility and balance, as well as his passing, crossing, and dribbling skills.

Moreover, Kamaldeen Sulemana has also been used as a right winger and can effectively play that role if needed, as he is comfortable with both feet.

That makes him a winger who is not significantly impacted by switching from one wing to the other.

It is true that Sulemana was not capable of scoring many goals previously in the Premier League; however, the goals he scored highlight his reliable penetration and ability to cut inside, as well as his ability to easily get past defenders thanks to his dribbling.

Sulemana can combine his quick and efficient dribbling abilities with pacey penetrations to create a threat for Atalanta.

He knows that he lik