Chelsea signed Italy full back Marco Palestra from Atalanta on Wednesday as the club reshapes its squad following the appointment of Xabi Alonso as manager.
Alonso's preferred formation during his record-setting time at Bayer Leverkusen from 2022-25 featured a three-man defense with wing backs. It perhaps explains why Chelsea has moved for the 21-year-old Palestra — a versatile defender who can play on the left or right and primarily as a wing back — for a fee of 43 million pounds ($57 million), according to British broadcaster Sky Sports.
Chelsea has already sold left back Marc Cucurella for a reported 60 million euros ($70 million) in a departure that helped its delicate financial position.
On Tuesday, UEFA urged Chelsea to “significantly decrease” its squad costs as a result of breaking the governing body’s financial monitoring rules once again.
Chelsea is likely to see a big revenue drop for the coming season after failing to qualify for the Champions League or any European competition.
Palestra is young but comes with pedigree
Palestra has signed a seven-year deal — long-term contracts are the norm at Chelsea under its American owners — after playing so well on a season-long loan at Cagliari that he was named as Serie A's defender of the year.
The Serie A website said Palestra was the fastest player in the league in terms of sprints and was No. 1 among all defenders across Europe’s top five leagues in completed dribbles. He scored one goal and had four assists.
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“I’ve felt the energy since the first day Chelsea wanted me,” he said. "I can’t wait to start, see all the fans, my teammates and the manager.
“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 made his debut for Italy this year and has two caps for the national team.
U.S.-owned Atalanta might have needed to sell Palestra to fill a big hole in its revenue after failing to qualify for Europe following a seventh-place finish in Serie A.
AP Sports Writer Daniella Matar in Milan, Italy, contributed.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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