Chelsea have reached a verbal agreement to sign highly rated Italian fullback Marco Palestra from Atalanta, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
The Blues have been relatively quiet in the summer transfer window, with incoming manager Xabi Alonso not officially starting his role contractually until July 1st.
Despite that, Alonso is believed to be in close contact with the club’s hierarchy as they work through potential transfer targets ahead of his arrival.
Chelsea’s activity has been picking up pace, with reports of contact with Juventus over Andrea Cambiaso alongside serious interest in Atalanta’s Palestra emerging in recent days.
The 21-year-old had appeared destined to join Inter Milan, with reports suggesting he had already agreed personal terms with the Italian giants before Chelsea intervened.
Romano reports that Chelsea have hijacked the deal, agreeing a verbal agreement worth £47m on a long-term contract to bring Palestra to Stamford Bridge ahead of the 21-time Italian champions.
Italian transfer expert Nicolo Schira has revealed that the 6ft 1in fullback is set to fly from Milan to London for his medical formalities following the completion of his paperwork, which includes a 10% sell-on fee.
Palestra was named Serie A’s best defender of the 2025-26 season at the Lega Calcio Serie A’s end-of-season awards, underlining just how impressive his campaign at Atalanta was.
He averaged 7.24 successful duels per game and recorded an outstanding 248 duels won across the season, which was 62 more than Chelsea’s own João Pedro, who led the club with 186.
In possession, Palestra posted an 85.1% pass completion rate and completed 70 successful dribbles, demonstrating real composure and quality on the ball throughout the campaign.
His ability to play comfortably with both feet also gives him the versatility to operate convincingly on either flank, which adds significant tactical value to what he brings to a squad.
Those qualities appear to make him a natural fit for the style of play Xabi Alonso is expected to implement when he formally begins his tenure at Stamford Bridge next month.
However, his arrival creates a crowded situation at right-back, with Reece James and Malo Gusto already at the club, plus academy prospects Genesis Antwi and Josh Achempong also available in that position.
With two months still remaining in the transfer window, Chelsea will need to make decisions on which options are sold to accommodate Palestra within the squad.