Cagliari, Palestra eyed by five European giants and two Italians | OneFootball

Marco Palestra doesn't stop. He grows match after match, attracts increasingly prestigious attention, and becomes one of the hot names in the 2026 market.

Cagliari, Palestra at the center of the market: five big European clubs and two Italian ones are following him

Cagliari enjoys having him and tries to secure him, but the noise of the sirens around the 2005-born winger is now impossible to ignore: at least five major foreign clubs and two top Italian ones are watching his evolution very closely.

Personality against Milan: Palestra doesn't tremble

Against Massimiliano Allegri's Milan, Palestra confirmed all the good things said about him. After just two minutes, he finds himself with a clear path ahead, with Maignan as the last obstacle: the shot is imprecise, but the signal is clear. The boy doesn't hide, he dares, he takes initiatives.

Cagliari plays a high-level first half, despite the tactical maneuvers staged on the eve. In the second half, it takes Leao just four minutes to unlock the game, but Palestra continues to point the way to a comeback, never backing down. He also crosses paths with Luka Modric: a twenty-year age difference that doesn't weigh. The Croatian invents, swerves, and finishes with the class of a Ballon d'Or winner, but the young defender observes, learns, and gains experience. Humility and awareness: this is how a great footballer is built.

A performance that ignites the market

From Estupiñán to Saelemaekers, up to the confrontation with Modric, the match against Milan is a complete showcase for Palestra. At the Domus Unipol, enthusiasm grows, especially after a defensive recovery on Saelemaekers that brings the entire stadium to its feet. Class, physical structure, and tactical intelligence: the package is complete.

It's no coincidence that his name is now circulating in the notebooks of at least five major foreign clubs. In Italy, Juventus and Inter remain on the lookout. Beppe Marotta has publicly held back, stating that "he is not our target," but market dynamics tell of ongoing contacts and evaluations. Palestra is appealing because he can play as a winger, as a fifth, and even as a central midfielder.

Cagliari and the strategy: present before the future

Having arrived in Sardinia on a dry loan from Atalanta, Palestra was a strongly desired investment by sporting director Guido Angelozzi, who pushed to close the deal. However, the Rossoblù club is clear about the management of the boy: "He will stay with us, just like Caprile, until the end of the season."

In June, the paths might separate, but now the priority is one: salvation. Palestra himself keeps his feet on the ground: "Here in Cagliari, they welcomed me very well, I'm at my best. We're focused on achieving what we need." Words that convey maturity and a sense of his journey.

Pisacane between regret and clarity

In the post-match, there is also room for the analysis of coach Pisacane, who is bitter but acknowledges the good work done: "A great first half, but it's difficult to maintain certain rhythms for ninety minutes. The regret is not having scored: with teams like this, if you don't unlock the game, you pay. And we paid."

His overall assessment is also clear: "A step back? Only if you look at the second half. In the first, we did well, despite the absences." And surprisingly, in a often heated atmosphere, his intervention in favor of the referees: "They need help, I always believe in good faith. Ricci's handball wasn't a penalty."

Future written, but not now

Marco Palestra is an emerging certainty in Italian football. The future seems already mapped out towards even bigger stages, perhaps even in a National team context. But for now, the focus remains on Cagliari and the race for salvation. The market watches, the big clubs study. He plays, grows, and waits. With the calm of someone who knows where he can go.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.