Ahead of Sunday's home match against Real Madrid in La Liga Matchday 7, Atlético Madrid forward Lookman spoke to ESPN.

Ademola Lookman, it's a pleasure to meet you.

The pleasure is mine.

You've had an incredible journey. You joined midway through last season, and the club immediately saw a new momentum. But I'd love to hear from your perspective—what was it like to join Atlético Madrid, a machine already running at full speed?

Yes, I've always said that my integration here has been very smooth, and it feels great. This is mainly due to the people here and the atmosphere in the locker room, where both the coaching staff and my teammates welcomed me very warmly. As a result, everything else on the pitch became much easier. Because everything off the pitch was so relaxed, I've been very happy since I arrived. Of course, training and playing here, being in Madrid, and truly feeling the love of the fans—that feeling is truly amazing.

Now that you've settled in, how would you evaluate last season? You almost reached the Champions League final with the team, you fought in La Liga, and made it to the Copa del Rey final, but ended the season empty-handed. Looking back at all that experience, what lessons have you learned? How do you feel now?

I think, looking back, we produced some very exciting performances. Both as a team and as individuals, you always aspire to be better, always looking for areas to improve. That's all you can do—identify the areas that need improvement and work hard on them. Work to become more united as a team, which is what we've actually been doing. Moreover, you can only focus on the present. Today is what matters most. So do your best today, push yourself to improve, and that's it.

The team is currently in great form, playing very well, with impressive performances and a strong connection with the fans. However, at the beginning of the season, the situation with Álvarez made things difficult. From the locker room perspective, as a player, how did you handle all of this?

Football is football. As for outside voices, off-field news, external pressure—everything happening outside—it doesn't really matter.

But he's also your teammate.

Yes, of course. He's our teammate, someone we highly admire, and an important player for us. But as I said, football is football. It's part of our job, part of our career. The most important thing is always to play well. So as individuals, I focus on playing, and I believe the rest of the team does too—focusing on the game itself and doing our best.

As a teammate and colleague, do you think you have a responsibility to help bridge this gap, to resolve the situation somehow? Álvarez might feel down, unhappy, or frustrated, and that's not easy on a personal, psychological level. I'm not talking about contract issues or disputes with the club—I'm talking about a person's emotions.

Of course, people are flesh and blood. Just like you and me, you have emotions, and I have emotions. You might have specific feelings in certain situations, and I'll have my own. Everyone is like this—it's human nature. Everyone has emotional ups and downs. But ultimately...

So what did you do? On a personal level, did you try to mend this relationship, to smooth things over? Is that even possible?

The relationship has always been good. There's nothing truly broken—I don't feel any estrangement at all.

I mean, to help him get through it, to make him feel better?

Álvarez is a top player. He knows it himself, the whole team knows it, everyone knows it. He's very important to us, and that's the most crucial thing. Ultimately, we're playing football. We want to win as many games as possible, we want to bring passion and joy to the fans and those who support us—that's the top priority. I think that's why we're here: to play good football and deliver exciting matches.

Do you think this fractured relationship between him and the fans can still be repaired?

Well, that's a question that should be answered by football. I don't think it's for me to answer. Ultimately...

Ultimately, it all comes down to football.

Yes, it all depends on football. As I said, bringing joy and passion to the fans and everyone, winning as many games as possible—that's the core. That's my opinion. I don't know what you think or what others think, but that's how I see it.

How do you view the upcoming Madrid derby? This is an extremely crucial clash. You're currently in excellent form, and the team is working very well together. Real Madrid has accumulated points, but perhaps hasn't quite hit their stride yet, though they're still a top team. How do you approach this big match?

I think it will definitely be a tough contest. Two top teams facing each other, both wanting to dominate the game and show their strengths. Without a doubt, we're very much looking forward to this battle, and we're ready for it.

Jude Bellingham is incredibly fast, technically skilled, and good at dribbling—some of his technical attributes are very similar to yours. What do you think of him? He's very young.

Yes, he's very young, but as everyone can see, he has a very high level. Everyone knows his ability. He's a talented player who has come to La Liga, and he'll try to show his ability and do his best. So, good luck to him.

But not good luck on Sunday! (laughs)

Good luck to him, but of course, excluding Sunday's match. (laughs)

Do you think you can replicate the grandeur of last season's first derby at the Metropolitano? I mean, scoring many goals against Real Madrid?

The team has done it before, and we'll try to perform at that level again. We need to create chances, create as many chances as possible, and try our best to convert them into goals.

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