Chelsea sign Italy defender Palestra for £47m

Chelsea have completed the signing of Atalanta right-back Marco Palestra for a fee of about £47m, including add-ons. The 21-year-old has signed a six-year deal, with the option of a further year, and becomes the first arrival since Xabi Alonso's appointment as manager. Palestra had been the subject of an agreement to rejoin childhood club Inter Milan, but Chelsea moved quickly to surpass their £43m offer and, according to sources in Italy, offered a more substantial wage package. "A lot of things convinced me to join Chelsea, one of the best clubs in the world," Palestra said. "We have so many talented players here, a very strong squad and manager in Xabi. "He has spoken to me about how he wants us to play, which is exciting, and we can't wait to compete in the Premier League." Palestra spent last season on loan at Cagliari and was named Serie A's defender of the year. Chelsea are now prioritising a move for a centre-back, with Crystal Palace's Maxence Lacroix expected to be their primary target, with a move for Rayo Vallecano full-back Pep Chavarria also in discussion. Sunderland have rejected an £8m bid from Chelsea for captain Granit Xhaka, who played under Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen. There are also agreed deals for striker Emmanuel Emegha to join from Strasbourg and winger Geovany Quenda to arrive from Sporting, while Strasbourg midfielder Valentin Barco is expected to complete a move. The Blues are considering adding a central midfielder and a versatile forward, although much will depend on player sales after they finished 10th in the Premier League last season and failed to qualify for Europe. Midfielder Enzo Fernandez is keen to leave and is attracting interest from Real Madrid, while Serie A side Como have held talks over a move for Trevoh Chalobah. A number of players, including Alejandro Garnacho, Liam Delap, Wesley Fofana, Malo Gusto and Tosin Adarabioyo, also face uncertain futures. Who is Marco Palestra? The move marks a rapid rise for Palestra, who has progressed from Italy's third tier with Atalanta's under-23 side to Chelsea in the space of three years. He made his senior Atalanta debut in the Europa League in December 2023, but it was his loan spell at Cagliari last season that accelerated his development, culminating in his senior debut for Italy during the high-pressure World Cup play-offs. At Cagliari, Palestra attempted 73 dribbles over distances of more than 5m - the most by any defender in Serie A - with only Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz recording more in the competition. Palestra's 70 successful dribbles were the highest of any defender across Europe's top 10 leagues, while he won 15 fouls in the final third, the joint-most by a defender in Europe's top five leagues last season, according to Opta data. No player in Serie A covered more distance at sprinting speed during his loan spell at Cagliari. It was a campaign in which Palestra went from strength to strength. Former Cagliari sporting director Guido Angelozzi, who signed him last summer, told sources the club faced strong competition from across Italy and Europe to secure his services. Angelozzi said they provided Palestra with the "right environment" to compete at a high level under pressure, while also allowing him the freedom to make mistakes. He added that Chelsea, along with other leading European clubs, had sought character references. He said: "The first thing that struck me was his maturity. He is a very curious young man - always willing to listen, yet with a strong personality. "He trained with intensity and constantly sought to improve. He is polite, level-headed and very serious about his daily work. These are traits that inevitably translate on to the pitch." Chelsea watched Palestra for more than a year. They will know they are signing an attack-minded defender and are encouraged by Palestra's versatility - he can play at full-back or wing-back and began his career in central midfield. His arrival may also be the first clue that Alonso will play a back-three system at Stamford Bridge, having used it to great effect when leading Bayer Leverkusen to their first Bundesliga title in 2024. Angelozzi added: "As a player, Marco combines technical quality with footballing intelligence. He has a great sense of timing, the ability to read situations and a natural ease in making decisions under pressure - qualities that are rare at his age. "But what I appreciate most is his willingness to make sacrifices. He