Chelsea’s summer spending spree has its next target locked in. Marco Palestra, the 22-year-old wing-back from Atalanta, is scheduled to complete his medical on Friday ahead of a move worth approximately €55 million, plus potential bonuses.

The deal comes on a 6+1 contract, meaning Palestra will be tied to Stamford Bridge until June 2032, with an option to extend for an additional year. Personal terms have already been agreed upon, and Fabrizio Romano confirmed the transfer with his trademark “Here We Go” declaration.

How Chelsea outmaneuvered Inter Milan

Inter Milan were firmly in the mix for Palestra before Chelsea intervened. The roughly €55 million fee translates to somewhere in the range of £43 million to £47.4 million. Palestra spent the season at Cagliari, where he registered 1 goal and 4 assists in Serie A.

What Palestra brings to Alonso’s system

Xabi Alonso has identified Palestra as a priority signing, with the player seen as a fit for Chelsea’s high-pressing playing philosophy. At just 22, he is young enough to develop further within the system but has already played regularly in Serie A.

What this means for the transfer landscape

The 6+1 contract structure is worth noting. Chelsea have favored long-term deals as an amortization strategy, spreading transfer fees across the length of the contract for Financial Fair Play purposes. A seven-year maximum term on a €55 million deal works out to less than €8 million per year in amortized costs.

For Atalanta, this is a significant windfall for a player who wasn’t even in their first-team plans last season. Atalanta’s model of developing players through their academy and selling them at premium prices to Premier League clubs is reinforced by this deal.