Atalanta BC sporting director confirms club are looking to sign Chelsea midfielder permanently

Atalanta BC sporting director Giovanni Sartori has confirmed that the club are looking to exercise the buy clause in the loan contract of Chelsea midfielder Mario Pasalic.

The Croatia international joined the Serie A outfit on a season-long loan from the Blues last term and he had a good season with eight goals and six assists from 42 outings for the club.

Atalanta had the option for a permanent purchase last summer but they instead decided to re-sign the midfielder on loan while retaining the choice to buy at the end of the campaign.

In an interview with Sky Sport Italia, Sartori has now confirmed that the club are trying to sign Pasalic on a permanent basis from the west London giants.

“We are trying to redeem Pasalic from Chelsea, while for Tameze we are talking with nice to extend the loan and possibly exercise the right of redemption at the end of the season,” He told.

Sartori did not mention the price tag for Pasalic, but reputed Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has recently revealed that Atalanta will pay £13.45m (€15m) to sign the Croatian on a permanent basis.

The 25-year-old has contributed seven goals and seven assists from 32 appearances for Atalanta this season and he should play a part in the club’s quest for Champions League football when the Serie A campaign resumes.

Despite the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, Pasalic’s permanent switch to Atalanta could be seen as a potential bargain, but the Blues won’t be overly disappointment with the deal.

The Premier League outfit signed Pasalic as a teenager from Hajduk Split for £3m in 2014 and they are set to make a profit of more than £10m from his sale despite him not making a single competitive appearance for them.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com