Chelsea loanee Mario Pašalić hoping Atalanta will actually exercise buyout clause this time

Mario Pašalić wanted Atalanta to exercise the buyout clause built into his contract last season. He did not get his wish, though he did get to stay after the Serie A outfit managed to negotiate another season-long loan for him.

Now, he wants them to exercise the buyout clause once again, perhaps knowing that Chelsea are unlikely to be that generous again.

In a wide-ranging interview with Croatian outlet Dalmatinski Portal ahead of last night’s Champions League Round of 16 first leg against Valencia, the 25-year-old midfielder confirmed those hopes and intentions.

“I’ve been on loan for five or six years. I would love to finally settle my status. I’m great at Atalanta, this is the first club where I stayed for the second year in a row. We will see in the summer what will be. They have the right of redemption.

“It’s their decision [to exercise the €15m clause or not], so far I don’t know more than that. Every time I say it’s great for me here, I’d love to stay.”

-Mario Pašalić; source: Dalmatinski Portal via Google Translate

Pašalić will not have done his chances of securing a permanent move to the North of Italy any harm with last night’s performance, as he picked up two assists in Atalanta’s impressive 4-1 win over the team that won Chelsea’s group in the group stages.