Chelsea signed Italy full back Marco Palestra from Atalanta on Wednesday as the club reshapes its squad following the appointment of Xabi Alonso as manager.
Alonso’s preferred formation during his record-setting time at Bayer Leverkusen from 2022-25 featured a three-man defense with wing backs.
Chelsea has already sold left back Marc Cucurella for a reported 60 million euros ($70 million) in a departure that helped its delicate financial position.
On Tuesday, UEFA urged Chelsea to “significantly decrease” its squad costs as a result of breaking the governing body’s financial monitoring rules once again.
Chelsea is likely to see a big revenue drop for the coming season after failing to qualify for the Champions League or any European competition.
Palestra is young but comes with pedigree Palestra has signed a seven-year deal — long-term contracts are the norm at Chelsea under its American owners — after playing so well on a season-long loan at Cagliari that he was named as Serie A’s defender of the year.
The Serie A website said Palestra was the fastest player in the league in terms of sprints and was No.
1 among all defenders across Europe’s top five leagues in completed dribbles.
He scored one goal and had four assists.
“I’ve felt the energy since the first day Chelsea wanted me,” he said.