There has been a change of heart at Atalanta, with multiple sources reporting they have now decided to buy Merih Demiral outright from Juventus for €20m.
The defender spent this season on loan in Bergamo and at first it was assumed he would be staying on a permanent basis.
However, with the failure to qualify for Europe, La Dea are tightening the purse strings and were prepared to let him go back to Turin.
The situation changed today with another meeting between the clubs, so Sky Sport Italia, Sportitalia, Calciomercato.com and more are all adamant Atalanta have now decided to activate their option to buy, albeit with a discount from the original €23m.
This is positive for all concerned, as Juventus can pocket a valuable €23m transfer fee, while Demiral could still move on this summer if Atalanta find a buyer.
The Bianconeri had no intention of keeping the Turkey international centre-back.
A Premier League move is still an option for the 24-year-old, who has been linked with Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
He has 35 senior caps for Turkey and this season made 42 competitive appearances for Atalanta, scoring two goals with three assists.
L’@Atalanta_BC adesso è sempre più convinta di riscattare #Demiral dalla @juventusfc: in questi minuti la decisione definitiva @SkySport #calciomercato
— Gianluca Di Marzio (@DiMarzio) June 17, 2022
20m for that sack of garbage.
Rube are laughing all the way to the bank