Chelsea hijack Inter move for Atalanta’s Marco Palestra

According to numerous reports, Inter Milan were working on signing Marco Palestra from Atalanta, but Chelsea entered the fray at the eleventh hour and are now set to complete the transfer for a total package of €55 million.

Palestra is a right-back, well-suited for bombing up the flank as a wing-back, which has obviously made him appealing to Chelsea as they seek to build a team tailored to the liking of new manager Xabi Alonso. The Spanish tactician won the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen utilizing a back-three system, in which wing-backs play important roles on the flanks.

The 21-year-old uses both feet in equal measure, which means he can play on the left as well.

Palestra rose through the youth ranks at Atalanta and spent the 2025-26 season on loan at Cagliari. He made a total of 37 appearances – all in the Serie A, scoring once and assisting his teammates on four occasions.