Marco Palestra now looks set to join Chelsea after Inter had spent much of the chase in front. The reported package has moved past the Italians on fee and wages, while Xabi Alonso's direct call to the player has been described as the key push.
Chelsea's bid moved the deal
One report puts Chelsea's offer at €57m plus at least €3m in bonuses and a 10 per cent cut of any future sale fee. Inter's bid had reached €45m plus add-ons to €50m. Another outlet says Chelsea and Atalanta have already agreed a fee in excess of £43million, which shows how differently the price is being framed across outlets.
Chelsea are also said to have offered €5m a season over six years, compared with Inter's €2.5m. That is a sizeable gap, and it fits a club still sitting 10th in the Premier League with 52 points from 38 matches, trying to keep winning arguments on the pitch and in the market at the same time.
Alonso's call and Atalanta's role
The more decisive detail is the personal pitch. Xabi Alonso reportedly called Palestra to sell him on the project, and Palestra then called Atalanta to leave the choice between Inter and Chelsea to the club. That points to a deal shaped by more than money alone, even if Ivan Zazzaroni's line that Palestra is going to Chelsea for the money is hard to ignore.
There is a football case for the move too. Palestra can play right back, left back and wing back across the defensive line, which would give Chelsea another flexible option in a squad that still needs it. Malo Gusto would not be losing a direct replacement, but he would be getting a serious rival for minutes.
Atalanta sit 7th in Serie A with 59 points from 38 matches, so Chelsea are raiding a club operating at a higher level than their own league position suggests. The deal is not described as officially complete, but the direction is clear, and Chelsea have done enough to pull it away from Inter.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →