Barcelona were close to signing Atletico Madrid winter arrival twice in the past | OneFootball

Barcelona will face Atletico Madrid in the semifinal of the Copa del Rey over two legs, the first of which will be played in just a few days’ time in the Spanish capital.

The Colchoneros enter the game in great form, having scored five goals past Real Betis in La Liga earlier this week in the Copa del Rey. Needless to say, the headline was not their win but the explosive debut of their latest signing.

Indeed, the player in question is Ademola Lookman, who signed for them just days ago and made his debut against Real Betis.

The €35 million signing could not have asked for a better start to life under Diego Simeone as he racked up a goal and an assist on the night.

What could have been

As confirmed in a recent report by SPORT, Lookman had been linked with Barcelona and could well have been a Blaugrana at this point had a few matters turned out differently.

Since 2024, there were constant contacts between the forward and the Catalans, with both parties appreciating the chance to work together. Lookman, in particular, loved the idea of playing for Barcelona.

Ademola Lookman signed for Atletico in the winter window. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

Deco witnessed the player live on a couple of occasions, and there was a chance that he signed the forward in 2024.

At that time, however, Barcelona prioritised the signing of Dani Olmo, and eventually passed on Lookman as they hoped to land Nico Williams. In the end, they did not sign any winger.

Last summer, the option arose once more, but it was seemingly impossible to sign Lookman at the time, given how tightly Atalanta held on to him. Barcelona signed Marcus Rashford on loan instead and utilised their remaining financial leeway for the same.

Given that Atalanta rejected a €45 million offer from Inter Milan in the same window, it is safe to say that Barcelona could never have landed the player in the summer, regardless of their strong relations with his agency, which also represents Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Now, Barcelona will come face-to-face with Lookman next week in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal against Atletico Madrid.