have accomplished the signing of right-back Marco Palestra for a payment of about £47m, together with add-ons.
The 21-year-old has signed a six-year deal, with the choice of an additional yr, and turns into the primary arrival since as supervisor.
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Palestra had been the topic of an settlement to rejoin childhood membership , however Chelsea moved shortly to surpass their £43m supply and, based on sources in Italy, supplied a extra substantial wage bundle.
“Lots of issues satisfied me to hitch Chelsea, probably the greatest golf equipment on this planet,” Palestra stated.
“We now have so many proficient gamers right here, a really sturdy squad and supervisor in Xabi.
“He has spoken to me about how he needs us to play, which is thrilling, and we won’t wait to compete within the Premier League.”
Palestra spent final season on mortgage at and was named Serie A’s defender of the yr.
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Chelsea at the moment are prioritising a transfer for a centre-back, with ‘s anticipated to be their major goal, with a transfer for full-back additionally in dialogue.
Sunderland have from Chelsea for captain , who performed below Alonso at .
There are additionally agreed offers for striker to hitch from and winger to reach from Sporting, whereas Strasbourg midfielder Valentin Barco is anticipated to finish a transfer.
The Blues are contemplating including a central midfielder and a flexible ahead, though a lot will rely upon participant gross sales after they completed tenth within the Premier League final season and didn’t qualify for Europe.
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Midfielder is eager to depart and is attracting curiosity from , whereas Serie A facet have held talks over a transfer for .
Plenty of gamers, together with , , , and , additionally face unsure futures.
Who’s Marco Palestra?
The transfer marks a speedy rise for Palestra, who has progressed from Italy’s third tier with Atalanta’s under-23 facet to Chelsea within the house of three years.
He made his senior Atalanta debut within the Europa League in December 2023, however it was his mortgage spell at Cagliari final season that accelerated his growth, culminating in his senior debut for Italy in the course of the high-pressure World Cup play-offs.
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At Cagliari, Palestra tried 73 dribbles over distances of greater than 5m – probably the most by any defender in Serie A – with solely winger recording extra within the competitors.
Palestra’s 70 profitable dribbles have been the very best of any defender throughout Europe’s high 10 leagues, whereas he gained 15 fouls within the last third, the joint-most by a defender in Europe’s high 5 leagues final season, based on Opta information.
No participant in Serie A coated extra distance at sprinting velocity throughout his mortgage spell at Cagliari.
It was a marketing campaign wherein Palestra went from energy to energy. Former Cagliari sporting director Guido Angelozzi, who signed him final summer time, informed BBC Sport the membership confronted sturdy competitors from throughout Italy and Europe to safe his providers.
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Angelozzi stated they supplied Palestra with the “proper surroundings” to compete at a excessive degree below stress, whereas additionally permitting him the liberty to make errors. He added that Chelsea, together with different main European golf equipment, had sought character references.
He stated: “The very first thing that struck me was his maturity. He’s a really curious younger man – at all times keen to hear, but with a robust persona.
“He educated with depth and continuously sought to enhance. He’s well mannered, level-headed and really severe about his every day work. These are traits that inevitably translate on to the pitch.”
Chelsea watched Palestra for greater than a yr. They may know they’re signing an attack-minded defender and are inspired by Palestra’s versatility – he can play at full-back or wing-back and started his profession in central midfield.
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His arrival may additionally be the primary clue that Alonso will play a back-three system at Stamford Bridge, having used it to nice impact when main Bayer Leverkusen to their first Bundesliga title in 2024.
Angelozzi added: “As a participant, Marco combines technical high quality with footballing intelligence. He has an amazing sense of timing, the power to learn conditions and a pure ease in making selections below stress – qualities which can be uncommon at his age.
“However what I respect most is his willingness to make sacrifices. He’s a participant who works for the group, accepts tactical directions and by no means rests on his laurels.
“Like all younger gamers, he nonetheless has room to develop, however the basis could be very strong. If he maintains this mindset, I imagine he has all of the qualities to construct a top-level profession.
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“In the present day he’s a extra full, mature participant and, above all, mentally able to step as much as a fair greater degree.”
Chelsea will take encouragement from having secured Palestra regardless of sturdy curiosity from Inter Milan, whereas Atalanta had been eager to retain him and golf equipment together with Juventus, and Roma have been linked with a transfer over the previous six months.