Chelsea have pulled off one of the most dramatic transfer coups of the summer after beating Inter Milan to the signing of highly rated Italian winger Marco Palestra.
According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Blues have agreed a deal for the 21-year-old right back.
Inter are reportedly furious as they had a clear run at Palestra before the Blues swooped in and blew them out of the water.
They appeared to be in complete control of the race for Palestra.
The Serie A giants had spent months negotiating with Atalanta and believed they had secured the club’s approval and the player’s commitment.
An official announcement was reportedly expected within days. But Chelsea swooped in at the last minute and turned the deal on its head.
Inter were prepared to make Palestra one of their most significant investments in recent years. They had agreed a €45 million package, plus €5m in performance-related bonuses, with Atalanta.
Club executives viewed the wing-back as a like-for-like replacement for Denzel Dumfries, who joined Real Madrid earlier this summer.
However, everything changed when Chelsea entered the picture. The Blues presented both the player and Atalanta with offers that Inter could not match.
While Palestra had reportedly accepted a salary package worth around €2.5m per year with Inter, Chelsea offered a deal worth around €6m annually, more than doubling his expected earnings.
The Blues also improved the transfer package for Atalanta, offering €55m and including a percentage of any future resale.
The improved terms convinced the Bergamo-based club to accept Chelsea’s proposal.
Chelsea’s deal to sign Palestra was reportedly spearheaded by new manager Xabi Alonso, who is already flexing his power ahead of starting his new role on July 1.
The Blues are determined to back the Spanish tactician after a woeful campaign in which they missed out on European football, finishing 10th in the Premier League.
Manchester City and Newcastle United were also interested in Palestra. But City will now turn their attention to Malo Gusto, who could be a casualty of the Palestra deal.
