AC Milan boss Vincenzo Montella has insisted that he would like to keep Chelsea’s loanee Mario Pasalic on a permanent basis.
The Croatian midfielder has been a part of the infamous ‘Chelsea loan army’ for three seasons now, since signing with the Blues in the summer of 2014 for a reported £3 million from Croatian side and boyhood club Hadjuk Split. Since then he has been loaned to Elche in the La Liga, Monaco in the Ligue 1 last season and is now currently at AC Milan in the Serie A.
However, since making the switch to the San Siro, he has yet to make an official appearance for the Rossonerri. The Croatian international was linked with a move away from Italy only after a few months after he failed to make a single appearance for them. But Milan boss Vincenzo Montella has stated that he would like to retain the talented 21-year-old on a permanent basis if possible.
Speaking to Calciomercato, he was asked about bringing in reinforcements and Pasalic, to which he responded, “As I said before, it’s my job to bring in as many new players as possible. Sosa is starting to do well now likewise Locatelli. Vangioni arrived here injured and if I could I would take Pasalic on a permanent deal. He’s growing and deserves a place in the team.”
At Monaco, he impressed last season, making 29 appearances for them over the course of the season and scoring 7 goals in all competitions. Milan have reportedly paid €200,000 to take Pasalic on loan this season, and could pay Chelsea upto €1 million if he makes a certain number of appearances. The midfielder has endured a difficult few months, having to deal with injuries, and that is one of the primary reasons he hasn’t been able to make an impact in the Milan first team. However, the fact that he has impressed Montella over the course of these three months should that his future could very well be at the San Siro.