Marco Palestra is travelling to London to undergo a medical and sign for Chelsea, as the £43 million transfer from Atalanta nears completion. Standard Sport reported on Tuesday that Chelsea were moving quickly to finalise a deal worth at least £43m for the Italian full-back.
Contract Details and Wage Structure
Palestra will sign a six-year deal, with Chelsea holding an option to extend it by a further year through to June 2033. Inter Milan were the clear frontrunners to sign the 21-year-old until Chelsea swooped and hijacked the deal. While Inter could not match the wage offered by Chelsea, Palestra’s salary falls in line with the club’s heavily bonus-incentivised wage structure.
Versatility and Competition
Chelsea are understood to appreciate Palestra’s ability to play right wing-back, right-back and to deputise on the left flank when needed. The 21-year-old will challenge Reece James and Malo Gusto for playing time at right-back. Chelsea are open to letting Gusto depart this summer, though they are not actively looking to sell him. The club have slapped a £75m price tag on his head, and several Premier League sides, including Manchester City, are known to admire him.
Potential Gusto Departure
Any deal involving Gusto would likely have to wait until after France’s World Cup campaign has concluded. Gusto has made one appearance at the tournament for Les Bleus, replacing Jules Kounde eight minutes from time in last week’s weather-affected defeat of Iraq.
