Inter market, here we go again: there's the offer for Marco Palestra, no from Atalanta
Inter soccer market: and one could say “here we go again.” The Nerazzurri have put Marco Palestra, who has just returned from a top-level championship with the Cagliari shirt, firmly in their sights. The right flanker’s tag, however, is owned by the same Atalanta that raised the barricades for Ademola Lookman a summer ago. And a year later, the pattern seems, for the moment, destined to repeat itself.
According to what has been gathered by ‘Sky Sport,’ in fact, Inter has submitted an initial proposal to secure Palestra. The meneghini would invest 40 million euros for the player on the roster of the senior national team both in the days of Gennaro Gattuso as coach and after the advent of Silvio Baldini. Despite 5 additional bonuses, however, Atalanta rejected the offer: they want at least 50 from Bergamo. And in the background there is also Manchester City, which after the arrival of Enzo Maresca would have also put the defender who grew up in the orbico youth teams in its sights.
A season, Palestra’s one at Cagliari, that has left its mark also at the level of individual awards: in fact, the 2005-born won the Best Defender of Serie A 2025-2026 award assigned by Lega Serie A, a recognition that takes into account statistical analysis, technical events and positional data. An official seal on his extraordinary year, which saw him collect 36 appearances, one goal and four assists, numbers that fully convinced the Nerazzurri management to make him the main market target.
In addition to Palestra, moreover, there was also a Nerazzurri of today who smiled on the evening of the individual awards of the Lega Serie A: Federico Dimarco won the award for best overall player of the season, becoming the first Italian to do so since the introduction of the award in 2018-2019, thanks to 6 goals and 18 assists, an absolute record in a single season of the top league. Cristian Chivu won the award for best coach, while Lautaro Martinez took home that of best striker: a hat trick of awards that certifies the superiority of Inter as champions of Italy for the 21st time in its history.
To finance the operation, Beppe Marotta and Piero Ausilio would have already mapped out the way: according to reports in Corriere dello Sport, Inter would be ready to sacrifice Luis Henrique, who enjoys strong appeal in the Premier League, and Andy Diouf. The double transfer would serve to generate the cash needed for the decisive lunge, with coach Cristian Chivu reportedly expressly requesting Palestra’s profile to give new life and unpredictability to the outside lanes. In the background also remains the issue related to Denzel Dumfries, who has a 25 million euro rescission clause valid for foreign countries and a contract expiring in 2028 that will most likely not be renewed.
More complicating the picture for Inter is the economic strength of Manchester City, which at the explicit request of Enzo Maresca would have placed Palestra at the top of its wish list. Faced with the financial power of the English club and the allure of the Premier League, the competition is therefore getting tougher, and the Viale della Liberazione club risks having to raise its offer significantly in order not to see the main objective of the entire summer session fade away. More defiladed, on the other hand, is Juventus, which is unlikely to be able to sink the blow without qualification for the next Champions League.
On the exit front, meanwhile, there is another knot to untie at Inter: that of Davide Frattesi. In three seasons in the Nerazzurri, the midfielder has never managed to stably win a starting position and the season just ended without goals or assists, a balance far from expectations. Separation, this time, seems much more likely than in the past: in Italy Atalanta and Roma continue to follow him with interest, while in January it was Nottingham Forest that had come closest to buying him. However, an economic agreement remains to be found, with Inter unlikely to maintain the €30 million valuation set until last winter. A transfer that, if materialized, could provide additional financial oxygen to the Nerazzurri’s buying campaign, with Palestra always at the center of all reasoning.
