AC Milan to attempt permanent deal for Chelsea midfielder in the summer, reveals club CEO

After failing to get playing time on the pitch in the early days of his loan stint at AC Milan, Chelsea loanee Mario Pasalic has had a major turnaround in his fortunes at the Italian club. He has started Milan's last four league games, scoring his first goal for the side earlier this month in a game against Crotone. As a result, the club might be looking to make his stay a permanent one next summer, as revealed by Milan CEO Adriano Galliani in an interview to Mediaset Premium.

"[Mario] Pasalic is a player who did well at youth level, but his progress was stalled by injuries. He can come back to being what he was. In Croatia Pasalic is considered to be on the same level as Luka Modric, who is one of the best midfielders in the world. We had this opportunity, we do have the option to buy and we’ll see what to do next summer."

-Adriano Galliani; source: Mediaset Premium via Evening Standard

During his previous loan spell at Ligue 1 club AS Monaco, Pasalic suffered from a back problem that kept him out from February to July. So it's only natural that it would take him a bit of time for a full recovery in fitness and form.

The permanent deal for Pasalic would suit his personal wishes; but it would be wise for Chelsea to learn from previous mistakes and include a buy-back clause — just as we should on any deal involving the best prospects of the Loan Army.