Chelsea sign Marco Palestra from Atalanta for £47m

Chelsea have confirmed the signing of 21-year-old right-back Marco Palestra from Atalanta for a fee of around £47 million including bonuses. With a six-year contract and the option of an additional year, Palestra becomes the first addition to the squad following the arrival of Xabi Alonso as coach. Palestra had an initial agreement to return to his boyhood club Inter Milan, but Chelsea acted quickly, beating the Italian side's £43m offer and, according to sources in Italy, offering a more attractive wage package. "Many things convinced me to come to Chelsea, one of the best clubs in the world," said Palestra. "We have a lot of talented players here, a very strong squad and a competent coach like Xabi. He talked to me about how he wants us to play, which is exciting, and I can't wait to compete in the Premier League." Last season, Palestra was loaned to Cagliari, where he was named Serie A defender of the year. Chelsea are now prioritizing the signing of a defender, with Crystal Palace's Maxence Lacroix being the main target, and a deal for Rayo Vallecano full-back Pep Chavarria also being discussed. Sunderland have rejected an £8m bid from Chelsea for captain Granit Xhaka, who played under Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen. In addition, the arrivals of striker Emmanuel Emegha, from Strasbourg, and winger Geovany Quenda, from Sporting, have already been agreed, while midfielder Valentin Barco is also expected to join the club. Chelsea are considering adding a central midfielder and a versatile striker, although much will depend on player sales after finishing 10th in the Premier League last season and failing to qualify for European competitions. Midfielder Enzo Fernandez is keen to leave the club and is attracting interest from Real Madrid, while Serie A side Como have held talks over a move for Trevoh Chalobah. Several players, including Alejandro Garnacho, Liam Delap, Wesley Fofana, Malo Gusto and Tosin Adarabioyo, also face uncertain futures.  Palestra's arrival represents a rapid rise for the player, who went from Italy's third tier with Atalanta's under-23 team to Chelsea in just three years. He made his Atalanta first-team debut in the Europa League in December 2023, but it was his loan at Cagliari that accelerated his development, culminating in his debut for Italy during the World Cup playoffs. At Cagliari, Palestra attempted 73 dribbles from distances greater than 5 meters - the most recorded by any defender in Serie A - and only Juventus striker Kenan Yildiz made more in the competition. His 70 successful dribbles were the highest among defenders in Europe's top five leagues, while he earned 15 fouls in the final third, which equaled the record for defenders in Europe's top five leagues last season, according to data from Opta. No one in Serie A covered more distance at top speed during his loan at Cagliari. It was a campaign in which Palestra evolved considerably. Guido Angelozzi, Cagliari's former sporting director, who signed him last summer, said the club faced strong competition fromclubs from all over Italy and Europe to secure their services. Angelozzi highlighted that they provided Palestra with the "right environment" to compete at a high level under pressure, while also giving him the freedom to make mistakes. He added that Chelsea, along with other major European clubs, sought references about the player's character. "The first thing that impressed me was his maturity. He is a very curious young man - always willing to listen, but with a strong personality. He trained with intensity and constantly sought to improve. He is polite, balanced and very serious in his daily work. These are characteristics that inevitably translate onto the field," said Angelozzi. Chelsea have watched Palestra for over a year and believe they are signing a defender who excels in attack, as well as being excited by the versatility of Palestra - who can play as a winger or winger and began his career as a central midfielder. His arrival could also be an indication that Alonso intends to use a three-back system at Stamford Bridge, a formation that was highly effective when he led Bayer Leverkusen to their first Bundesliga title in 2024. Angelozzi concluded: "As a player, Marco combines technical quality with football intelligence. He has a great sense of timing, the ability to read situations and a natural ease in making decisions under pressure - qualities that are rare at his age. But what I appreciate most is his willingness to make sacrifices. He is a player who works for the team, accepts tactical instructions and never settles. Like all young players, he still has room to grow, but the foundation is very solid. If he maintains this mentality, I believe he has all the qualities to build a career Today he is a more complete, mature player and, above all, mentally prepared for an even higher level. Chelsea are encouraged to have secured Palestra despite strong interest from Inter Milan, while Atalanta were keen to keep him and clubs such as Juventus, Napoli and Roma were interested in his signature over the last six months. --- ## Related Articles 1. [All that must be expected from fans of Fulham de Arbeloa](https://golazopro.com/es/news/todo-lo-que-deben-esperar-los-aficionados-de-fulham-de-arbeloa) 2. [Tottenham Hotspur zet in op nieuw transferbeleid: grote zomerse](https://oranjenet.live/nl/news/tottenham-hotspur-zet-in-op-nieuw-transferbeleid-grote-zomerse-uittocht-moet-clu)

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