Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Marco Palestra from Atalanta, but Corriere Dello Sport editor Ivan Zazzaroni has warned the young defender against the move.
Chelsea’s move for Palestra comes amid departures of Marc Cucurella to Real Madrid and reported interest in Enzo Fernandez from the same club. Recent headlines have focused on these exits as the Blues navigate a quiet transfer window so far.
The signing surprised many given Inter Milan’s ongoing efforts to reach an agreement with Atalanta, but Chelsea completed the deal ahead of Inter’s efforts in swift fashion.
The signing addresses Chelsea’s need to replace Malo Gusto, who has been linked with Manchester City. Palestra provides cover at right-back, although tactical questions arise over Xabi Alonso’s stylistic fit for the Atalanta defender.
One possibility is that Alonso might shift to a back-three formation, which saw him gain success while at Bayer Leverkusen. This shift mirrors Alonso’s setup at Leverkusen, where Palestra’s wing-back profile thrives in advanced positions.
Ivan Zazzaroni warns Marco Palestra
While the move remains to be formalised, Ivan Zazzaroni has warned Palestra against joining Chelsea. In comments to FC Inter News, Zazzaroni listed youth signings Chelsea have made since Todd Boehly’s takeover and their subsequent performance.
Zazzaroni said, “Marco Palestra is going to Chelsea for the money and I don’t feel like criticizing him for that. I simply pointed out that for a young player that club is risky, almost a curse. Someone disputed my statement and so I lined up, in a disorderly fashion, the talents bought for a fortune by Boehly and somehow ‘disgraced’.”
He added: “I wish Marco the best, let’s be clear. We need him in the national team. Young players need help to grow.”
Of the 27 signings Zazzaroni listed, only one or two have developed successfully at Chelsea. Hence, Zazzaroni’s warning reflects concern that Chelsea’s track record with emerging defenders could hinder Palestra’s development for Italy’s national team.
Whether this would be the case with Palestra remains to be seen, although Chelsea’s strategy of signing young players to develop them into future stars has not worked as the owners may have liked or envisaged.
