Chelsea has asked about the availability of Marco Palestra, the 21-year-old Italian defender who just picked up the Serie A Best Defender award for the 2025-26 season. The interest is still at the inquiry stage, with no formal offer on the table.

Who is Marco Palestra?

Palestra is a right-back who spent this season on loan at Cagliari from Atalanta. He’s 21 years old, born in 2004 or 2005, and he’s already racked up 46 senior appearances between the two clubs, scoring one goal along the way.

He’s also being tracked as an Italy international prospect, which adds another layer to his profile.

Chelsea’s transfer strategy and the competition

Chelsea’s interest dates back to late May 2026, according to reports from Gianluca Di Marzio’s outlet. The club asked for information about Palestra’s situation.

Chelsea is far from alone in this pursuit. Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, and Manchester United are all reportedly monitoring Palestra’s progress.

Inter Milan are reportedly preparing a bid of approximately 45 million euros for the player. Inter’s involvement is particularly notable because they’d be offering Palestra a chance to stay in Serie A, stay in Italy, and play Champions League football at one of the country’s biggest clubs.

The 45 million euro figure gives us a useful benchmark for what Atalanta might be expecting. For a 21-year-old with one full Serie A season as a starter and a best defender award, that number feels like it could be a starting point rather than a ceiling, especially if multiple Premier League clubs get involved and start outbidding each other.