Liverpool are making ‘serious preparations’ to sign highly rated Italian fullback Marco Palestra from Atalanta, according to CaughtOffside.
Palestra has established himself as one of the best young fullbacks not just in Serie A but in Europe this season.
Having initially arrived on loan at Cagliari as cover to Gabriel Zappa, the 20-year-old has rather become a mainstay in the starting lineup, featuring in 30 of the 31 Serie A games for Fabio Pisacane’s side as they continue to battle for survival this season.
His performances in the league earned him a place in Gennaro Gattuso’s squad during the recent international break, and he was handed his debut in the World Cup play-off semi-final victory over Northern Ireland.
Palestra also featured against Bosnia and Herzegovina, and despite the disappointing penalty defeat, he was one of the standout performers in regulation time.
With standout performers for club and country in the ongoing campaign, the youngster is set to become a subject of keen interest as the summer transfer window approaches.
One of the clubs looking to sign Palestra is Liverpool, according to CaughtOffside, which claims that the defending Premier League champions are making ‘serious preparations’ for his potential transfer to Anfield in the summer.
The Merseyside giants view the Italian fullback as a viable option to add depth to their squad and eventually become a long-term option at right back, according to the report.
Palestra to Liverpool
Should the Reds decide to make a concrete move, the report adds that it’ll cost up to £39m to sign Palestra, who is also of keen interest to Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Inter Milan.
A glance at Palestra’s Serie A numbers this season makes it clear he is ready to take the next step.
The youngster has been dominant in individual battles, winning a remarkable 200 duels so far, more than any current Liverpool player.
He currently ranks second in the league for duels won, while his 52 successful dribbles place him among the standout performers in that area as well.
While Liverpool already have Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley as right-back options, their injury concerns have led to other players like Wataru Endo, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Curtis Jones alternating at right-back.
As such, a move for Palestra makes sense, as he offers not just immense attributes but also reliability, and a £39m fee for a player of his quality would be an absolute bargain.
