Inter market, Marco Palestra winks at the Nerazzurri
Marco Palestra, a side owned by Atalanta and currently on loan at Cagliari, could become one of the most valuable pieces of the next market. There is great attention on him: Inter is following him closely, but it is not the only one, given the interest of Premier League clubs and Barcelona.
“It’s always nice to be approached by big clubs like Inter, but right now I don’t think too much about it,” said the class of 2005, -. My priority is Cagliari’s salvation. I have only been a professional for a couple of years and I still have a lot to improve. For the future we will see what will be the best choice. Now we have to prepare for the challenge against Atalanta, the club where I grew up and where I have so many friends.”
On Palestra’s future, Inter sporting director Piero Ausilio also expressed himself, speaking at the Inside the Sport 2026 event in Coverciano: “Palestra excellent footballer, right profile for many teams, but Atalanta has vision for the project. I am sure he will be important, in the meantime for them, then we will see on the market.” Words that confirm the Nerazzurri’s interest, while respecting the position of the Bergamo club, which has set a price of no less than 50 million euros to let its jewel leave.
The competition for the young lateral is in fact thick and fierce. In addition to Inter Milan, Juventus, Napoli, Bayern Munich and Manchester United have also been keeping a close eye on his growth over the course of the season. The Bavarian club, in particular, is looking for a right-back after Sacha Boey’s loan transfer to Galatasaray, and has included Palestra among its priority profiles for the summer. Precisely because of this scenario, Inter has already identified an alternative plan: should the negotiation for Palestra become complicated, the Nerazzurri are ready to veer decisively to Moussa Diaby, the French outside forward of Al-Ittihad already followed in the last winter market window and considered the profile most liked by Cristian Chivu among the alternative options.
Palestra’s path is emblematic of Atalanta’s ability to enhance talent. Brought up in Inter’s youth academy, the full-back then landed in Bergamo, which last summer chose to send him on loan to Cagliari to let him mature with continuity. A choice that turned out to be right, as also pointed out by former Nerazzurri midfielder Marino Magrin: “For me, Atalanta did well to let him grow in Cagliari. He is doing really very well. I don’t know if he will return to Atalanta or go to another big club, but he is certainly interesting for the national team. There are few Italians who play at great levels and with continuity.”
Already in the national team Palestra has had the opportunity to showcase himself. Coach Gennaro Gattuso called him up for the world playoffs played last March, including him in the list of the 28 Azzurri called up to play for a pass to the 2026 World Cup. A call that rewarded his performances in Serie A and further increased his price tag on the international market.
