Chelsea loanee Pašalić hoping Atalanta exercise €15m buyout clause

Mario Pašalić, currently on his fifth loan in a fifth different club since arriving at Stamford Bridge in 2014, is hoping to have finally found a club to truly call home. The 24-year-old is having a very good season as Atalanta in the Serie A and, having grown tired of the “Loan Army” quite some time ago, is hoping that the Bergamo-based club will say yes to the dress €15m buyout clause.

Pašalić’s agent Marko Naletilić, is working hard to make that come true.

“[No meetings in the agenda] yet. The price for purchase is established; our will is clear. There is no better place to grow. If the club want to focus on Mario, there is total openness.

“I would be delighted if he remained, it would be the best thing. Atalanta is a reality of world football, it is a small Juventus. In addition there is [Gian Piero] Gasperini, an exceptional coach. One of the best not only in Italy, but in Europe. He values 100% of every player, as he’s showing with Pasalic.”

“Physically here we go to a thousand per hour, Mario has never felt as good as this year. And to say that he was lucky enough to wear important jerseys... Bergamo represents a step forward for his career, zero doubts.”

-Marko Naletilić; source: Gazzetta dello Sport via Google Translate

La Dea currently sit sixth in Serie A, right in the middle of a glut of teams competing for European places next season. They trail the neighboring Milan clubs by a slim margin, but are only three points ahead of Ola Aina’s Torino in ninth. Atalanta have never competed in the Champions League (or its predecessors) in their 111-year history, but they’re looking to at least improve on and evolve from their 7th-place finish last season. And so is Pašalić.