Atalanta Sporting Director confirms intention to finally sign Mario Pašalić

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a tectonic shift in the football financial market with clubs forced to curb down on spending due to losses in revenues. Therefore, everyone’s looking for value-for-money deals with a high return on investment, be that in terms of talent or resale value.

One such deal could be for Chelsea’s on-loan midfielder, Mario Pašalić. The 25-year-old has spent the past two seasons at Atalanta BC on loan, where he has established himself as a household name and has been key to the team’s historic league finishes and subsequent Champions League campaign. Luckily for Atalanta, and unluckily for us, Pašalić has a dirt-cheap €15m buy-option that the Serie A club can activate.

The 25-year-old has repeatedly expressed a desire to continue at Atalanta, and recent reports seemed to indicate that Atalanta would actually capitalize on this opportunity. Now, finally, there appears to be an (almost) official confirmation from the club sporting director.

“We’re going to buy Mario Pašalić on a permanent deal from Chelsea. We want to use the buy option.”

-Giovanni Sartori; source: Sky Italia via Evening Standard

With his performances over the past couple of seasons, including 7 goals and 7 assists this season, Pašalić has shown gradual improvement in his play and proven that he belongs at the highest level. While he never did get the opportunity to don the Chelsea shirt, he can continue helping Atalanta achieve their lofty ambitions while also showcasing his ability to the world.