Chelsea have completed the signing of defender Marco Palestra from Atalanta on a seven-year contract.The Athletic reported last week that Chelsea’s move for the 21-year-old was advancing at a rapid pace, following interest from Italian champions Inter.The Italy international is the first Chelsea signing since the appointment of Xabi Alonso, and follows pre-existing deals to sign Geovany Quenda, Denner, Dastan Satpaev and Emmanuel Emegha.“A lot of things convinced me to join Chelsea, one of the best clubs in the world,” Palestra told Chelsea club media upon his signing.“I’m very excited to get started. I’ve felt the energy since the first day Chelsea wanted me. I can’t wait to start, see all the fans, my team-mates and the manager.“We have so many talented players here, a very strong squad and manager in Xabi. He has spoken to me about how he wants us to play, which is exciting, and we can’t wait to compete in the Premier League.”Palestra operated as a wing-back on loan at Cagliari last campaign, making 37 Serie A appearances, recording one goal and four assists. He was named Serie A defender of the year as Cagliari finished 14th in the table.New Chelsea manager Alonso used a wing-back system in his three seasons at Bayer Leverkusen, though switched to a back four in his six-month stint at Real Madrid. After the €60million departure of Marc Cucurella to Real Madrid, Jorrel Hato is Chelsea’s only senior left-sided option in defence, with Reece James and Malo Gusto as right-backs.A product of Atalanta’s academy, Palestra made his debut for the first team in December 2023 in what was his only senior appearance of the season. He featured 15 more times the following season before joining Cagliari on loan for the 2025-26 campaign.Palestra made his international debut for Italy in March in the 2-0 win over Northern Ireland in the World Cup qualification semi-finals and picked up his second cap against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the final, which Italy lost on penalties.A versatile signing for Alonso’s systemAnalysis by The Athletic’s Anantaajith RaghuramanPalestra ranked 12th among Serie A outfielders for minutes played last season with 3,084. As the graphic below shows, most of his minutes came as an attacking right-sided wing-back in Cagliari’s 3-5-2, but he occasionally featured on the left too.Palestra’s versatility is one of his standout attributes. He is equally strong receiving, passing and dribbling with either foot, making him an option on either flank. So, while his best moments have come on the right, don’t be surprised if new Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso uses him on the left following Marc Cucurella’s €60million (£51.7m; $68.4m) move to Real Madrid.At former club Bayer Leverkusen, Alonso used Alejandro Grimaldo as an attacking wing-back on the left ahead of a back three. Grimaldo’s dashboard from Leverkusen’s unbeaten 2023-24 Bundesliga season shows a player with the freedom to create from anywhere on the left, resulting in a return of 10 goals and 13 assists in 33 matches.Palestra, nine years Grimaldo’s junior, does not have as refined an offensive game, but provides a few different dimensions — including a more seamless fit into a back four.Defining features of Palestra’s game are his pace and athleticism. Fabio Pisacane, his manager at Cagliari, told Sky Sports in Italy during last season that Palestra “seems like a player built on the PlayStation; 99 per cent acceleration”.That, combined with the ability to effortlessly switch the ball between his feet on the fly, is the most exciting aspect of his profile. No full-back or wing-back across Europe’s top five leagues attempted more take-ons than his 4.6 per 90.Jul 1, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms