Marotta: 'Inter in Preliminary Talks for Palestra, Stankovic's Future Uncertain'

Inter President Beppe Marotta has confirmed that discussions regarding the transfer of Atalanta wing-back Marco Palestra are still in the preliminary stage. This announcement was made during an event for the drawing up of the 2026-27 Serie A fixture list at the Teatro Regio in Parma. Marotta noted that while Palestra has shown promising talent, Atalanta's asking price of €50 million makes the deal complex.

"Palestra is an Atalanta player, and I am glad for Italian football that he is doing so well," Marotta stated. "It seems a bit of a stretch to say he’s coming to Inter. We have Denzel Dumfries, who plays the same role and is close to a move to Real Madrid, but we are still at the preliminary stage regarding Palestra. His profile would be appreciated by many European clubs, and Inter are among them."

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In a related move, Inter has officially activated their buy-back option for Aleksandar Stankovic, who had an impressive spell at Club Brugge. The buy-back cost was €23 million, after he was sold for €9.5 million. Marotta expressed that it was inevitable to use the buy-back clause given Stankovic's successful season.

"Stankovic is a very important player and an investment for Inter, then we’ll see what his future will be. Our objective is to acquire the most interesting young players who can grow in value and contribute to the team," he added.

Marotta also confirmed that goalkeeper Josep Martinez will remain with the club, although his starting position will be determined by the coach. Additionally, Cristian Chivu, who helped secure the Scudetto and Coppa Italia in his debut season, is set for a contract extension. Marotta concluded, "As you well know, Chivu already has a contract to 2027, and we reached an agreement for a renewal that will be made official in the coming days. Our fans will be happy too."

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