Super Eagles’ technical adviser, Gernot Rohr has reiterated that he ill not rush into a decision over his desire to have Everton whiz-kid, Ademola Lookman in his team, as he says Nigeria has equally good players to consider at present.
Aside the issue of geting FIFA’s clearance before Lookman’s switch can be certified for him to appear with the Eagles, Rohr stressed that the team’s current blend could be distorted if the former RB Leipzig of Germany lad is propelled straight into the squad overnight.
However, Rohr hinted that, should Lookman opt for Nigeria, he would face competition from Ahmed Musa, Moses Simon, Henry Onyekuru and Samuel Kalu for a place in the current squad.
The 21-year-old Lookman, who scored 12 goals in 49 games for Charlton Athletic before joining Everton in January 2017, helped England win the FIFA U-20 World Cup last year but is yet to play for their senior side.
Lookman, who was born in England but qualifies for Nigeria through his parents, played on loan at Leipzig last season and, though he has struggled for regular time this season with The Toffees, Rohr said he knows all about the lad’s qualities.
Rohr submitted: “Every coach wants options, we’ve been lucky to get some players and if we get him, Lookman will give us more options.
“But we have to be careful about how we go about this because Nigeria have some good players at home and playing outside.
“He’s a player we know can add something to the team, (but) getting a player to change his national choice is not easy, quick and the process is never so straightforward.
“First, we must be sure he wants to come. And hope to get it cleared by FIFA. Then the most important part is that he brings something new, different and better than we have.”
