Inter’s pursuit of Marco Palestra is at serious risk of collapse, with Atalanta demanding in excess of €50 million for the wing-back and Premier League interest from Newcastle United and Manchester City threatening to price the Nerazzurri out of the running entirely.Palestra has emerged as Inter’s primary target to replace Denzel Dumfries following his imminent move to Real Madrid, with the youngster having impressed on loan at Cagliari last season.However, the operation is proving far more complicated than initially anticipated, with parallels already being drawn to the club’s failed pursuit of Ademola Lookman last summer.Inter’s hopes rest significantly on Palestra’s own preference.The player is understood to favour a move to the Nerazzurri over Newcastle, a factor that gives the club some leverage in negotiations. However, that dynamic changes entirely if Manchester City submit a formal offer, at which point, according to TuttoMercatoWeb, Palestra’s preference would shift towards the Premier League giants.ZENICA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA – MARCH 31: Tarik Muharemovic of Bosnia and Herzegovina competes for the ball with Marco Palestra of Italy during the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers KO play-offs match between Bosnia & Herzegovina and Italy at Stadion Bilino Polje on March 31, 2026 in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images)Cocchi swap rejected as Inter forced to find €50m cash solution for PalestraA potential sweetener that could have eased the financial burden has also been ruled out.Inter had hoped to include young defender Matteo Cocchi in any deal for Palestra, but Atalanta are not sufficiently convinced by the 2007-born talent to accept him as part of the package.That leaves Inter with little choice but to find a cash offer north of €50 million, a significant outlay for a club that must also balance the loss of Champions League prize money considerations.Atalanta’s firm stance reflects a pattern of behaviour from the Bergamo club, who have consistently extracted maximum value from their most coveted assets and show no sign of softening their position on Palestra.
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