Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea have successfully hijacked Inter Milan’s move for Atalanta defensive sensation Marco Palestra.
Marco Palestra is all set to join Chelsea on a long-term deal, as there is now a verbal agreement in place between all parties, as reported by Fabrizio Romano. The West London club have hijacked Inter Milan’s move for Atalanta’s defensive prodigy.
The Serie A outfit will receive in excess of €55 million and will hold a decent sell-on clause. While the exact details of his contract have not been revealed, he is expected to pen a long-term contract at Stamford Bridge.
Palestra has come up the ranks at Atalanta. He was officially promoted to the first team in the summer of 2024, but La Dea ended up sending him out on loan to Cagliari last season to ensure he received regular first-team action and continued his progress.
The move certainly worked out in his favour as he was involved in 37 league games, racked up over 3,000 minutes and contributed towards five goals. The promising right-back’s consistent performances even helped him break into the Italian national team.
Inter Milan lose out on Palestra
While Palestra was set to return to Atalanta for the new season, multiple top clubs have been battling it out for his signature. Inter Milan had been pushing hard to sign the 21-year-old as they considered him an ideal replacement for Denzel Dumfries, who is leaving the club to join Real Madrid.
Palestra’s strong defensive base, his high work-rate and great attacking instincts make him an ideal fit for their setup. While the Nerazzurri were closing in on securing his signature, Chelsea entered the race and have subsequently already hijacked the deal.
While the West London club have a number of options at right-back, Reece James’s injury track record has forced them into making this move. Palestra is a perfect fit for their long-term plans, and the maturity he has shown suggests he could make a case to start ahead of Malo Gusto and Josh Acheampong, with the former also linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge amid interest from Manchester City.
Palestra, with his technical abilities and ball distribution skills, could prove to be a great fit in Chelsea’s first team under Alonso. They already have a verbal agreement in place, and it’s only a matter of time before the deal becomes permanent.