Palestra turns down Chelsea while waiting for Inter to strike agreement with Atalanta

Reports in Italy claim that Premier League side Chelsea have made an unsuccessful approach for Atalanta full-back Marco Palestra, who is waiting for Inter to strike an agreement with La Dea. Inter is Palestra’s priority, not Chelsea or Manchester CityPalestra was one of the breakout stars of the 2025-26 Serie A season, and a number of Europe’s most prestigious clubs have registered an interest in picking up the 21-year-old Italy international from Atalanta this summer. Inter are at the front of that queue, and according to Wednesday’s reports from the Corriere dello Sport, if it were down to Palestra himself, he would ‘already’ be a Nerazzurri player. Reports elsewhere claim that there is an agreement in principle on personal terms for a five-year contract worth around €3m per season in wages. Inter are not the only club keen on striking a deal for Palestra this summer, though. Several outlets have claimed that Manchester City, now under the guidance of Italian head coach Enzo Maresca, were interested in the young Italy international and reports over the last 24 hours claim that Maresca’s former club Chelsea are also intrigued. This is a real transfer merry-go-round, as City have reportedly turned to Chelsea’s Malo Gusto after learning that Palestra is likely to remain in Italy next season, and Chelsea have turned to the Italian after learning that City are interested in Gusto. MILAN, ITALY – APRIL 17: Marco Palestra of Cagliari Calcio in action during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and Cagliari Calcio at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on April 17, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)Either way, reports in Italy maintain that Palestra is extremely likely to remain in Serie A next season and Inter are still the frontrunners to land his signature. The latest updates claim that Inter are currently willing to invest €45m including bonuses on the signing of the former Cagliari loanee, while Atalanta are seeking a fee in excess of €50m.