'I want to be the next top one' - Palestra

Chelsea's new £47m full-back Marco Palestra has been one of the strongest performers in pre-season. The 21-year-old Italy international is preparing to face AC Milan on Saturday after playing in each of Chelsea's three pre-season matches. He joined the Blues despite an offer from Inter Milan, and Palestra acknowledges he is the latest Italian, following the likes of Gianfranco Zola, Gianluca Vialli and Jorginho, to come through Stamford Bridge. "I know Zola played at Cagliari and at Chelsea," Palestra said, speaking in English at the team's hotel in Sydney. "He's a legend and maybe I can do what he did at Chelsea. I spoke with Davide Zappacosta, who I played with, and he always told me good things. A lot of Italian players played here. I want to be the next top one." Palestra - signed from Atalanta - spent last season on loan at Cagliari, a move he says "changed my life". The campaign saw him win Serie A Defender of the Year, record the highest sprint distance and the most dribbles of any defender in the division over the season. New manager Xabi Alonso spoke to Palestra as Chelsea won the race to sign him, opening up the possibility of using him as both a full-back and wing-back. "He told me what he wanted from me, his ideas and other things," Palestra continued. "It was not only football. He said he likes me because he has watched a lot of my games. He likes my flexibility because I can play on the right, on the left, deeper or higher up the pitch. "It was a good conversation about everything, so I was very happy with it. There were some clubs that wanted me, but when Chelsea wanted me, I agreed because they are one of the biggest clubs in the world." Although captain Reece James has yet to join the squad in pre-season, he wrote Palestra a "beautiful message" and offered him support and advice should he need it. Palestra comes across as humble, describing himself as a fan of Serie A and Cristiano Ronaldo, and concludes he is living his "dream" by joining a club like Chelsea.