Palestra spent last season on loan at Cagliari, where he was crowned Serie A's defender of the year — a remarkable achievement for a player who had begun his senior career in Italy's third tier with Atalanta's under-23 side just three years earlier.

A record-breaking loan spell

The statistics behind Palestra's Cagliari campaign underline why Europe's elite came calling. He attempted 73 dribbles over distances of more than 5m, the highest figure for any defender in Serie A, with only Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz recording more across the entire competition. His 70 successful dribbles were the best tally for any defender across Europe's top 10 leagues.

Palestra also won 15 fouls in the final third — the joint-most by a defender across Europe's top five leagues, according to Opta — and no player in Serie A covered more ground at sprinting speed during the same period. He capped the season by earning a senior call-up for Italy during the high-pressure World Cup play-offs.

Former Cagliari sporting director Guido Angelozzi, who brought Palestra to the club, told BBC Sport the deal required fending off interest from rivals across Italy and Europe. Angelozzi described Palestra as unusually mature for his age, noting that Chelsea and other leading clubs had sought character references before completing their moves.