Chelsea agree deal for Palestra after blowing Inter out of the water | OneFootball

Chelsea have pulled off one of the most dramatic transfer coups of the summer after beating Inter Milan to the signing of highly rated Italian winger Marco Palestra.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the Blues have agreed a deal for the 21-year-old right back who is considered a rising star in Italy.

Chelsea’s stunning hijack has left Inter reportedly furious as they had a clear run at Palestra before the Blues swooped in and blew them out of the water.

For weeks, Inter appeared to be in complete control of the race for Palestra.

The Serie A giants had spent months negotiating with Atalanta and believed they had secured both the club’s approval and the player’s commitment.

An official announcement was reportedly expected within days. But Chelsea swooped in at the last minute and turned the deal on its head.

Inter were prepared to make Palestra one of their most significant investments in recent years. They had agreed a package worth €45 million plus €5m in performance-related bonuses with Atalanta.

Club executives saw the wing-back as a like-for-like replacement for Denzel Dumfries, who joined Real Madrid earlier in the summer.

However, everything changed when Chelsea entered the picture. The Blues presented both the player and Atalanta with offers that Inter simply could not match.

While Palestra had reportedly accepted a salary package worth around €2.5m per year with Inter, Chelsea offered a deal worth around €6m annually, more than doubling his expected earnings.

The Blues also improved the transfer package for Atalanta, offering €55m and including a percentage of any future resale.

The improved terms convinced the Bergamo side to move forward with Chelsea’s proposal.

Chelsea’s deal to sign Palestra was reportedly spearheaded by new manager Xabi Alonso, who is already flexing his power ahead of starting his new role on July 1.

The Blues are determined to back the Spanish tactician after a woeful campaign where they missed out on European football by finishing 10th in the Premier League.

Manchester City and Newcastle United were also interested in Palestra. But City will now turn their attention to Malo Gusto, who could be a casualty of Chelsea’s Palestra deal.