Palestra intrigue as Xabi Alonso demands Chelsea battle Inter | OneFootball

Reports are growing in Italy and England that new Chelsea coach Xabi Alonso is determined to get Atalanta’s Marco Palestra, as Inter race against time to get a deal done before he changes his mind.

The situation has taken a very sudden twist this evening, as it was assumed that Inter were down to the final details with both Atalanta and the player.

The transfer fee would be €45m plus a further €5m in add-ons, while today they made a formal presentation to Palestra’s agent Alessandro Lucci of personal terms.

All that remained was to figure out the precise nature of the add-ons and sell-on clauses.

Chelsea put up a fight for Palestra

CAGLIARI, ITALY – JANUARY 02: Marco Palestra of Cagliari in action during the Serie A match between Cagliari Calcio and AC Milan at Stadio Sant’Elia on January 02, 2026 in Cagliari, Italy. (Photo by Enrico Locci/Getty Images)

However, all of a sudden The Athletic and then Sky Sport Italia announced that it was far from over, because Chelsea were throwing themselves back into the race.

It would not be an issue for the Premier League side to blow Inter’s offer out of the water, both in terms of the fee and wages, so the real issue is whether or not Palestra wants to stick with his original plan.

A decision could be made over the next few hours, as if Chelsea manage to convince the Italy international, then he could turn towards Stamford Bridge instead.

MADRID, SPAIN – OCTOBER 22: Xabi Alonso, Head Coach of Real Madrid, looks on prior to the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD3 match between Real Madrid C.F. and Juventus at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on October 22, 2025 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

Sky Sport Italia claim Xabi Alonso is personally responsible for the change in attitude and has ordered Chelsea to go all in for Palestra, seeing the right-back as a key figure for his new squad.