Chelsea signs Ahanor and loans him to Pallase

Chelsea have signed Italian Atalanta defender Unes Ahanor, but the young player will spend this season on loan at Crystal Palace in the English Premier League.

Ahanor, 18, who reportedly cost £40 million ($54 million), will play for Palace before officially joining Chelsea in 2027.

The player made 22 league appearances for Atalanta last season after moving from Genoa a year earlier, and also made his debut for the Italian national team in a friendly against Luxembourg in June.

The move to Crystal Palace, winners of the UEFA Conference League, will give the young defender the opportunity to gain experience in the English Premier League, especially with Moroccan player Shadi Riad sidelined due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained during a match against Everton.

Ahanor told the Crystal Palace website, “I am very happy to be here and to be part of this big family,” adding, “Being at one of the best clubs in the English Premier League for developing young players makes me grateful and excited.”

Meanwhile, Spanish striker Marc Guiu has joined German club RB Leipzig on a five-year deal for £14.5 million (around $20 million), ending his two-year stint at Stamford Bridge.

The 20-year-old had joined the Blues from Barcelona in 2024 for $6.7 million, but struggled to establish himself, making only 11 league appearances and scoring no goals.