Inter are prepared to offer over €40 million for Atalanta winger Marco Palestra, according to a report from Palestra pronti. The potential investment would mark one of the largest single outlays by the club in the last decade.
Inter have only spent over €40 million on three players in the past ten years: Romelu Lukaku, Achraf Hakimi, and Joao Mario. Palestra would become the fourth player to reach that price point. Atalanta have already rejected an initial bid of €40 million plus €5 million in bonuses, signalling to Inter that a fee of €50 million will be required to secure the player.
Inter’s sporting directors, Beppe Marotta and Piero Ausilio, are aware of the potential cost, drawing parallels to last season’s negotiations for Ademola Lookman. They anticipate a significant investment will be necessary to bring Palestra to the San Siro.
Lukaku arrived from Manchester United in 2019 for a club-record fee of €65 million plus €10 million in add-ons under then-manager Antonio Conte. He scored 23 goals in his first season, contributing to Inter’s Serie A title win the following year with another 24 goals and several assists. Lukaku has since had two departures from the club, first to Chelsea in 2021 for €115 million, and then a more controversial exit in the summer of 2024 after losing the Champions League final. Ausilio and Lukaku recently met in Monte Carlo to clear the air.
Moroccan full-back Hakimi joined from Real Madrid for approximately €45 million including bonuses, while Portuguese midfielder Joao Mario arrived from Sporting Lisbon in 2016 for around €43 million. Hakimi was a key player in Inter’s 2021 Scudetto-winning side, scoring 7 goals in 37 matches before moving to Paris Saint-Germain for €68 million – the third-highest sale in Inter’s history. Joao Mario’s time at the club was less impactful, eventually departing after loan spells at Benfica and Lokomotiv Moscow.
Inter’s pursuit of Palestra signals their intent to strengthen their attacking options ahead of next season. Securing his signature would provide coach Simone Inzaghi with another dynamic option in wide areas and further solidify Inter’s position as a dominant force in Serie A.
