Chelsea have stepped up their efforts to strengthen their defense with Crystal Palace's Maxence Lacroix as their main target. Furthermore, the purchase of Rayo Vallecano full-back Pep Chavarria is under discussion. Meanwhile, Sunderland have rejected an £8m bid for their captain Granit Xhaka, who has previously worked with Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen.
This move highlights the rapid rise of Marco Palestra, who in just three years went from the Italian third division with Atalanta's Under-23 team to Chelsea. After making his Europa League debut in December 2023, his loan to Cagliari last season accelerated his development, culminating in his debut for the Italian national team during the World Cup qualifying playoffs.
Palestra attempted 73 dribbles at distances greater than five metres, the highest number for a defender in Serie A, with only Juventus' Kenan Yildiz doing better in the competition. The 70 successful dribbles were the most among defenders in Europe's top ten leagues, and he also earned 15 fouls in the opposition's half, the highest number among defenders in Europe's top five leagues, according to data from Opta.
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Guido Angelozzi, ex direttore sportivo del Cagliari, ha affermato che il club ha affrontato una forte concorrenza per assicurarsi le prestazioni di Palestra, sottolineando che gli è stata fornita un'atmosfera adatta per competere ad alti livelli sotto pressione, permettendogli al contempo di commettere errori. He added that Chelsea, along with other top-line European clubs, had sought references to his character.
Angelozzi said: 'The first thing that struck me was his maturity. He is a very curious boy, always willing to listen, but with a strong personality. He trains intensely and constantly tries to improve. He is polite, balanced and very serious in his daily work. These are characteristics that are inevitably reflected on the pitch.'
Chelsea have been following Palestra for over a year and know they are signing an attacking defender, encouraged by his versatility, as he can play as a full-back or winger, having started his career as a central midfielder. His arrival may also be the first clue that Alonso intends to use a back three system at Stamford Bridge, having already used it successfully when he guided Bayer Leverkusen to their first Bundesliga title in 2024. Angelozzi concluded: 'Marco combines technical qualities with footballing intelligence. He has a great sense of timing, the ability to read situations and a natural ease in making decisions under pressure - rare qualities for his age. But what I appreciate most is his willingness to sacrifice himself. He is a player who works for the team, accepts tactical instructions and never rests on his laurels.'
