Chelsea are about to land £43m star they have secretly tracked for over a year

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·27 June 2026

Chelsea are about to land £43m star they have secretly tracked for over a year

Chelsea is now closing in on the capture of Marco Palestra from Atalanta.

The 21-year-old right back was on loan at Cagliari last season, and he impressed with the Italian club with his regular performances. He scored once and picked up four assists in Serie A.

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Chelsea have been eyeing Marco Palestra for a while

According to former Cagliari sporting director Guido Angelozzi, Chelsea have been tracking the talented young defender for quite some time and have made constant enquiries about the player over the past year.

“Chelsea and Manchester City had been following him for a year. They were always at the stadium, at Cagliari and away from home,” he said to SportMediaset. “They kept calling me. They wanted to know everything. Obviously they already had all the data, but they were looking for information about the boy’s character and his qualities.”

Palestra is highly rated across Europe, and he could prove to be a quality long-term investment for Chelsea. They have Reece James and Malo Gusto at their disposal, but Gusto has been linked with an exit this summer.

The arrival of the Italian defender will certainly push the Frenchman down the pecking order. It seems that it could only be a matter of time before the defender leaves the club. He has been linked with Manchester City in recent weeks. He is expected to reunite with the former Chelsea manager, Enzo Maresca.

Palestra could be an asset for the Blues

Meanwhile, Palestra will be hoping to establish himself as a key player for Chelsea in the coming seasons. It remains to be seen whether he can compete with and dislodge James from the starting lineup.

Regular first-team football will be crucial to his development. The young defender will not want to sit on the bench at Chelsea. It remains to be seen whether they can provide him with the required opportunities and help him fulfil his potential.

Reports suggest that Chelsea is paying around £43 million to complete the deal. It remains to be seen whether the 21-year-old can justify the investment in future.