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For many days, it has seemed like Marco Palestra was going to stay in Serie A and Inter were making big progress to sign him. But now, Chelsea appear to be very much in the race.
**La Gazzetta dello Sport** [report](https://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/Calciomercato/Inter/23-06-2026/inter-palestra-inserimento-del-chelsea-la-trattativa-con-l-atalanta.shtml?refresh_ce) that the Blues are at risk of jeopardising the Nerazzurri’s deal.
The Nerazzurri management spent much of the day today meeting with Alessandro Lucci, the Atalanta-owned wing-back’s agent, and they actually sat down confident they could quickly reach a definitive agreement.
Everything was done on the player’s side and on the Atalanta side, but during today’s lengthy meeting, a significant variable emerged. This was Chelsea’s strong involvement and they are offering significantly higher figures than Inter’s already impressive offer.
They’re talking about €5-6 million a year for the player, which he ultimately decided to accept. Palestra had always prioritized Inter, but the English club’s conviction has dramatically altered the course of a deal that seemed already concluded.
Kaustubh Pandey I GIFN