Chelsea are yet to announce the signing of Marco Palestra from Atalanta, but the player has confirmed he is on the move at least, by bidding farewell to his boyhood club.
The 21-year-old defender is expected to be the first signing made by Chelsea since Xabi Alonso arrived as manager. It comes after a stunning year on loan at Serie A side Cagliari, in which Palestra caught the eye.
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Serie A's Best Defender of 2025-26.
Named Serie A’s Player of the Season, Palestra has even earned Italy caps for his performances during the last 12 months. It saw Inter Milan make a move to land Palestra, who is renowned for his explosive speed.
But at the final minute, Chelsea hijacked Inter’s move to land Palestra. Reports say Chelsea have agreed a £43m fee alongside some big add-ons, with Palestra expected to earn north of £100k a week at Chelsea.
Marco Palestra waves goodbye to Atalanta on Instagram
Palestra actually spent a year in Inter Milan’s academy aged just nine and 10. But the majority of his academy years were spent in Bergamo, before making his senior debut for the Italian side in 2023.
A loan to Cagliari has seen Palestra blossom, playing in 37 of his loan side’s 38 Serie A matches during the 2025-26 season. Now, Chelsea have made their move at the request of new manager Xabi Alonso.
Chelsea are yet to confirm the signing of Palestra, who is expected to have signed a six-year deal with the option of a further year. But Palestra has decided to confirm his Atalanta exit at least on Instagram.
“I came to Bergamo as a child. Atalanta was much more than a club: it’s where I grew up as a player and as a person. Here I had the chance to follow my dreams, experiencing emotions I will never forget.
“Thank you to the Percassi family, managers, coaches, the staff, my teammates, and the fans for believing in me and being part of this extraordinary journey that started eleven years ago. Thank you,” he said.
What Marco Palestra said in the airport ahead of Chelsea move
Last week, late on Thursday night, clips of Palestra boarding a plane to England emerged ahead of his move to Chelsea. Italian media managed to get a brief quote from the defender ahead of his transfer.
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Indeed, it was reported that Palestra even said he was “happy” to join Chelsea in the coming days. The new signing is expected to be involved straight away in pre-season, with players returning on July 9.
Palestra is expected to be the first of many signings under Alonso, with the Blues currently in talks to land Pep Chavarria, Granit Xhaka and Maxence Lacroix. Chelsea are expected to confirm Palestra very soon.
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