Elche will acquire Ivan Marcone on a permanent deal.
The Argentine midfielder played his fifth game for the club in their 1-1 draw with Levante, and so the mandatory purchase clause inserted into his loan deal by Boca Juniors has come into effect.
Elche will spend €4.2m to purchase the rights of the player represented by Christian Bragarnik, the major shareholder of Martinez Valero.
Elche structured the deal like this so that the transfer won’t be registered in this season but in next season, a formula commonly replicated by other clubs suffering from a lack of liquidity.
The cost will be amortised across the years of the contract signed by the player.
Marcone had been headhunted by Elche coach Jorge Almiron, who had coached the midfielder during their spell together with Lanus.
The 30 year-old has started every game since joining the club and has impressed on his debut in European football, with Elche currently sitting pretty in eighth nine games in.
“I’m very happy to be here,” Marcone said in comments carried by Marca. “The club and my teammates have really welcomed me.
“We are going to give everything to continue winning and improving. We’ve done a lot of good, and we’re going to continue on this path of never giving up.”
Born in Sarandi, just outside of Buenos Aires, Marcone began his career with Arsenal Sarandi before a spell with Lanus.
He then spent time with Cruz Azul in Mexico before returning to Argentina with Boca, from whom he joined Elche on what was initially a loan deal in October 2020.
Featured image courtesy of Alicante Plaza.
