Xabi Alonso addresses media ahead of Spanish Super Cup final in Jeddah - Source: Getty
Chelsea agree terms to sign Serie A star in deal worth over €55 million: Fabrizio Romano - Source: Getty
According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea have agreed to pay Atalanta over €55m for Marco Palestra. The transfer guru claims the deal is very close and just needs a few final details from the player, who started over 30 league games while on loan at Cagliari last season.
Inter Milan looked to be closing in on the Italy international, having offered personal terms understood to be worth in the region of €2.5 million per season, per Football Italia. Atalanta, Palestra's parent club, were happy to take Inter’s €45m offer, plus €5m in bonuses, and the two clubs were left to decide how to structure the add-ons.
However, Chelsea swooped in at the last minute on the instruction of Xabi Alonso, who is keen to get the youngster into his squad, per the report. Fabrizio Romano revealed that the Blues' bid was €55 million with €5 million in add-ons. BlueCo also effectively doubled the player’s wages, offering him between €5 and €6 million a year on a five-year deal.
That total package comfortably brushed aside Inter, leaving the Nerazzurri unable to match Stamford Bridge's financial muscle.
The 21-year-old Buccinasco-born defender, who came through the Atalanta academy and lifted the Europa League in 2024, has enjoyed his loan spell in Sardinia. He has featured 37 times in Serie A this season for Cagliari, scoring once and providing four assists.
Danny Murphy questions Chelsea's recruitment philosophy
The pursuit of Palestra fits a familiar Chelsea template of signing young players, which hasn’t been convincing in recent years. One of the most vocal critics of the Blues’ approach under BlueCo ownership has been former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy.
He told talkSPORT back in April that the club’s obsession with raw youngsters kills their chances of competing at the very top (via @Blue_Footy):
"The reality is you're not going to get Chelsea up competing to win leagues and Champions Leagues with their philosophy. It's not going to happen. So they either change that or they get what they get."
But there's a counter-argument to be made. Palestra’s style is a great fit for Alonso’s system as a wing-back. Additionally, as Xabi Alonso is a manager rather than a head coach, he is expected to have more say over transfers and squad building. So the Blues might be ready to change their recruitment policy this summer.
They certainly need some experienced additions after crashing out of the UEFA Champions League after an 8-2 defeat by Paris Saint-Germain. Things didn’t improve much in the Premier League as they crawled to a 10th-place finish and sacked two permanent head coaches.