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After a bit of back and forth, Champions League newcomers Atalanta BC have reportedly decided to exercise the rather reasonable €15m buy-option in the loan contract of Mario Pašalić, who played a big part in their historic Serie A third place finish.
L’#Atalanta riscatta dal #Chelsea il croato Mario #Pasalic per 15 milioni di euro. #calciomercato
— Nicolò Schira (@NicoSchira) June 12, 2019
Previous reports had Atalanta trying to negotiate some sort of discount or possibly even just a loan extension, but the 24-year-old serial loanee had been campaigning for a permanent transfer for some time. He’s amassed over 200 appearances during the last five years of loans, with spells at Elche, Monaco, AC Milan, Spartak Moscow, and now Atalanta. It looks like his wish for some stability will soon be granted.
Pašalić joined Chelsea back in 2014 for around £3m, but did not qualify for a work permit. His loan adventures had taken him all around Europe and even into the national team, where he’s collected 8 caps so far.
He has two years left on his Chelsea contract, which should give the Blues just enough leverage to ensure that the transaction will indeed get done at the price agreed last summer. It’s the best outcome for all involved.