This archive report was first published on 22 June 2020.
On June 22, 2020, Atalanta announced that they had activated their option to buy Mario Pasalic from Chelsea, marking the end of the midfielder's loan spell in Bergamo.
The 25-year-old had been on loan at Atalanta since July 2018, and the permanent deal reportedly cost the Serie A side 15 million euros (approximately Sh1.8 billion).
Atalanta celebrated the news on Twitter, saying, "Mario Pasalic stays with us! Our #88 is an Atalanta player on a permanent basis!"
Atalanta's decision to make Pasalic's move permanent was likely influenced by his significant contributions to the team over the past two years, including helping them qualify for the Champions League last season and reach the quarter-finals of the current edition.
Atalanta are currently fourth in Serie A and have reached the Champions League last eight, with their recent 4-1 win over Sassuolo in Bergamo being a testament to their strong form.
Pasalic joined Chelsea from Hajduk Split in 2014 and has since had loan spells at Elche, Monaco, AC Milan, and Spartak Moscow. He has played 75 times for Atalanta, scoring 15 goals, including seven this season, and setting up another 13.
