Chelsea are on the verge of completing a £43m deal for Atalanta defender Marco Palestra, the first major signing of Xabi Alonso’s reign — but the incoming manager has already suffered a setback after Sunderland flatly rejected an £8m bid for Granit Xhaka.
Palestra, 21, had been expected to join Italian champions Inter Milan after a loan spell at Cagliari where he was named Serie A’s best defender. However, after 24 hours of talks, Chelsea persuaded the Italy international to move to Stamford Bridge, with sources in Italy claiming Inter could not match the Premier League club’s offer on personal terms.
“Chelsea close on £43m Palestra while Sunderland reject £8m Xhaka bid, insisting midfielder not for sale.”
The versatile full-back or wing-back made his international debut for Italy this year and is seen as an early sign of Alonso’s influence. The former Spain midfielder, appointed in May as Liam Rosenior’s replacement, formally takes over on 1 July but has been in regular contact with the club hierarchy. Chelsea are also targeting Strasbourg’s Valentin Barco, a central defender, and a versatile attacker, while deals already agreed for winger Geovany Quenda and striker Emmanuel Emegha are set to bring more arrivals.
But Alonso’s plans have not all run smoothly. Sunderland have rebuffed an £8m offer for Xhaka, telling Chelsea the midfielder is not for sale at any price. The 33-year-old former Arsenal captain joined Sunderland last summer for £17.5m and helped them finish seventh and qualify for Europe. He has already agreed personal terms with Chelsea, it is claimed, but the Black Cats are determined to keep him.
Xhaka’s reported desire to reunite with Alonso — who coached him at Bayer Leverkusen during their 2024 Bundesliga title win — marks a sharp turn from comments he made last month. “For me, the most important thing is that my family is happy. And we are in Sunderland,” Xhaka told Blick. “I’m not even thinking about a transfer. I’m really happy to finally have a summer without any speculation about my future. That’s rarely been the case in recent years. This allows me to fully focus on the World Cup.”
Now on international duty with Switzerland, Xhaka is preparing for a Round of 32 clash with Algeria after topping Group B. Chelsea, meanwhile, finished 10th in the Premier League last season and failed to qualify for Europe, prompting a squad overhaul that has already seen Marc Cucurella depart for Real Madrid. With Palestra close to signing and more targets in sight, Alonso’s revolution is under way — but Xhaka’s reunion may have to wait.