Chelsea sign Honest Ahanor from Atalanta with defender joining Crystal Palace on loan

Chelsea sign Honest Ahanor from Atalanta with defender joining Crystal Palace on loan Chelsea have announced the signing of Honest Ahanor from Atalanta , but the defender will officially join the club in 2027. Ahanor will now move to Crystal Palace on loan from Atalanta for the rest of the season. The 18-year-old began his career at Genoa, where he made his senior debut against Juventus in September 2024. Ahanor joined Atalanta last summer in a deal worth £17m plus bonuses. He made 35 appearances across all competitions for the Bergamo-based side last season, scoring one goal. He made his senior international debut for Italy as a substitute in a friendly against Luxembourg in June, before being handed his first start against Greece. The Genoa academy graduate is a left-footed centre-back known for his athleticism, one-on-one defending, ball-carrying and dribbling. Having established himself as one of the most promising young defenders in Italian football, Ahanor attracted Chelsea’s attention, with the Blues moving swiftly to sign him in line with their youthful recruitment policy. Chelsea have enough centre-back options for the season, particularly without European football, which is one reason Ahanor will spend the campaign on loan at Palace. Ahanor would be able to get some Premier League experience and continue his development with the Eagles. With Palace manager Pierre Sage using a three-man defence, like Xabi Alonso at Chelsea, Ahanor can continue developing in a system he is already familiar with after playing in the same formation at Atalanta. The young defender missed Atalanta’s opening two Serie A games. It remains to be seen whether he will be available for Palace’s Premier League trip to Fulham on Saturday .