Ay the end of 2019 and the start of 2020, it’s been a real saga for Atletico Mineiro to renew their loan deal for Nathan from Chelsea.
The Brazilian club insisted on keeping the player for six more months, instead of signing him on a permanent deal. And the sides ended up finding an agreement in the end, with the new loan supposed to expire in June.
But with the Coronavirus break, Nathan could only make seven more appearances for Atletico this year. And the club are already keen on extending the loan one more time, according to director Alexandre Mattos.
“Nathan is a player that interests us a lot and we will do our best to keep him. The problem is that it is not a simple negotiation,” said Alexandre Mattos (via O Tempo).
“Chelsea are interested in a definitive sale and there are other clubs interested. Nathan is on a high in the market. Our interest at the moment is an extension, but it’s difficult. We hope to clear up this situation because everything is stopped because of the virus.”
So Atletico first signed Nathan in the summer of 2018 on a one-and-a-half year deal, then extended it for six more months, and now make it public that they want more. That’s quite a good deal for the Brazilian side to keep a player for over two years without paying for a transfer.
That’s the price paid by Chelsea for having their loanees going from one place to another and never taking a final decision on them. This is Nathan’s fourth loan spell, following his time at Vitesse, Amiens, and Belenenses. He was signed by the Blues in 2015.
