Chelsea has agreed in principle to sign Marco Palestra from Atalanta for a base fee of approximately £49 million plus add-ons, handing the 21-year-old Italian right wing-back a five-year contract at Stamford Bridge.
How Chelsea hijacked the deal
Inter Milan had been closing in on Palestra for weeks. The Nerazzurri had agreed a fee with Atalanta in the region of €45 million plus €5 million in add-ons, and Palestra himself had already agreed personal terms with the club.
Chelsea reportedly offered Atalanta a base fee exceeding €50 million, which translates to roughly £49 million, surpassing what Inter had on the table. The real clincher was the personal salary offer to Palestra, which was approximately double what Inter Milan had proposed.
Reports from June 23 indicated that Chelsea and Atalanta were expected to finalize the agreement within 24 hours of key discussions.
