Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Marco Palestra is leaning on his fellow Italians to help him settle in to life at Chelsea.
Marco Palestra completed a £47 million transfer to Chelsea from Atalanta, signing a seven-year contract through 2033. The 21-year-old right-back arrived in West London following a standout 2025/26 campaign on loan at Cagliari, where he earned the Serie A Defender of the Year award.
Integrated straight into Chelsea’s pre-season schedule, Palestra has logged key minutes in friendlies, including starts against Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus.
Demonstrating the quality that prompted his summer move, Palestra’s early performances offer promising indications of his seamless adaptation to English football.
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Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Marco Palestra and Davide Zappacosta keep in touch
Davide Zappacosta joined Chelsea from Torino in 2017 for around £23 million. Primarily serving as a squad player under Antonio Conte and Maurizio Sarri, the Italian made 52 total appearances, scoring two goals, including a memorable strike on his Champions League debut.
And he happens to have been in contact with Marco Palestra, who has been leaning on the former Chelsea man to help him settle in to life at Stamford Bridge.
“I spoke with Davide Zappacosta after I joined Chelsea. I played with him at Atalanta. He’s a top guy. I have a good relationship with Zappa. He always talked good things from Chelsea. I know a lot of Italian players played here. I want to be the next top one.”
Asked by an interviewer about potentially becoming a legend at Chelsea, he had this to say.
“You would like to become a legend, too? ‘Maybe, maybe, I hope,’ he says. ‘I know some Italian players came to Chelsea.”
However, the real test will be seeing how Palestra adapts to life in the Premier League, as we’ve seen many players fail after making the switch from Serie A.