Marco Palestra, Chelsea's new signing, is eager to start his Premier League career, relishing the physicality and intensity of English football. The 21-year-old right-back joined from Atalanta this summer after a successful loan at Cagliari, where he earned his first two Italy caps and secured a move to west London for an initial £43 million.
Pre-season action and first impressions
Palestra has already featured in pre-season friendlies against Tottenham and Juventus, with the latter match on Wednesday. He expressed his excitement about the upcoming season, with Chelsea set to face Fulham on August 24.
'It's a wonderful world, because the intensity and physicality are so high,' Palestra told Sky Sport Italia after the Juventus loss. 'I'm happy, I can't wait to start playing the Premier League, as it's so exciting. I know every game there is exciting, whether it's against a big club or not. I can't wait to get started, it's wonderful.'
Manager's praise for new signings
New Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso has been impressed with Palestra's early impact. After the Juventus clash, Alonso praised the Italian's power and stamina, noting his quality in the final third. He also commended fellow signing Geovany Quenda, who is recovering from an injury and played 45 minutes in the match.
'Happy with Geovany. After he missed the last week in Australia, he wasn't there but he came a couple of days ago and to play 45 minutes after the little injury, he's been very good,' said Alonso. 'And Marco for sure is having a great impact. You see his power. He repeats up and down, big stamina, quality as well on the last third. So we are impressed with him.'
Teenage talent Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli
Alonso also highlighted the performance of 16-year-old academy midfielder Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli, who started against Juventus. The Spaniard remarked on the teenager's maturity, playing against experienced players like Manuel Locatelli and Douglas Luiz.
'It's incredible – I don't even remember when I was 16 who I was playing against,' said Alonso. 'But he was playing against [Manuel] Locatelli, against Douglas Luiz, these experienced players. For sure it's something that he will remember in the future. You can learn so much, as what it takes to be a top-level player is not just about having good technique. It's about understanding the game, having composure with the ball, when to defend hard, many things that he still has to learn.'
Alonso previously described Nicoll-Jazuli as a special talent with dynamic qualities, adding that he is a player the club needs to develop.
