Chelsea completes £47m signing of Atalanta right‑back Marco Palestra

Chelsea FC have reached an agreement with Atalanta to sign 21‑year‑old Italian right‑back Marco Palestra. The transfer fee is reported to be above £43 million and could rise to £47 million with add‑ons, and the player has signed a long‑term contract under new manager Xabi Alonso. The deal does not affect current right‑back Malo Gusto, who remains at the club and is valued at around £75 million.

Chelsea’s recent transfer activity continues a pattern of signing players after strong World Cup performances, with past acquisitions such as Enzo Fernández, Mateo Kovačić and Juan Cuadrado highlighted as examples of the club’s willingness to invest heavily in talent identified on the global stage.