Chelsea sign Italy defender Palestra for £47m

The move marks a rapid rise for Palestra, who has progressed from Italy's third tier with Atalanta's under-23 side to Chelsea in the space of three years. He made his senior Atalanta debut in the Europa League in December 2023, but it was his loan spell at Cagliari last season that accelerated his development, culminating in his senior debut for Italy during the high-pressure World Cup play-offs. At Cagliari, Palestra attempted 73 dribbles over distances of more than 5m - the most by any defender in Serie A - with only Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz recording more in the competition. Palestra's 70 successful dribbles were the highest of any defender across Europe's top 10 leagues, while he won 15 fouls in the final third, the joint-most by a defender in Europe's top five leagues last season, according to Opta data. No player in Serie A covered more distance at sprinting speed during his loan spell at Cagliari. It was a campaign in which Palestra went from strength to strength. Former Cagliari sporting director Guido Angelozzi, who signed him last summer, told BBC Sport the club faced strong competition from across Italy and Europe to secure his services. Angelozzi said they provided Palestra with the "right environment" to compete at a high level under pressure, while also allowing him the freedom to make mistakes. He added that Chelsea , along with other leading European clubs, had sought character references. He said: "The first thing that struck me was his maturity. …