OFFICIALLY OFFICIAL: Bologna buy Riccardo Orsolini outright

As Riccardo Orsolini continued to score goal after goal in the second half of the 2018-19 season, the likelihood of Bologna taking up their option to buy the young Italian winger only increased.

And now that likelihood is a certainty.

Juventus confirmed Thursday morning what was posted in brief on Bologna’s website the night before — the option to make Orsolini’s loan move a permanent deal has been exercised for a price of €15 million. This proved to be one of two options that many felt like Orsolini was going to be involved in this summer — Bologna either buys him for a nice profit or the 22-year-old returns to Juventus and is likely sold to another club for a nice profit.

Juventus saw Door No. 1 opened, and now they’re a little richer.

The official details from Juve’s communication team:

Turin, 20 June 2019 – Juventus Football Club S.p.A. announces that Bologna F.C. 1909 S.p.A. has exercised its option right for the definitive acquisition of the registration rights of the player Riccardo Orsolini for a consideration of € 15 million to be paid in three financial years.

The economic effect is positive for about € 10.5 million.

In his first-full season at Bologna after joining the Rossoblu during the January transfer window in 2018, Orsolini only seemed to get better as the 2018-19 season went on. Even though he only appeared in 19 games (16 starts) total, Orsolini finished as Bologna’s joint-top scorer with Federico Santander. Of Orsolini’s eight goals, four of them came in the final eight games of the season. He also finished with five assists, which were second-most on the team.

Orsolini, originally bought from Ascoli for €6 million in January 2017, was one of a handful of purchases by Beppe Marotta and Fabio Paratici that fit a certain profile — young, talented and, maybe most important of all to some, Italian. However, a lot like pretty much all of those signings, Orsolini has now been sold off for a considerable profit, with an official debut with Juventus never actually taking place before he was permanently sold to another club.