Cristian Chivu and Marcus Thuram both made a point of approaching Marco Palestra after Inter Milan’s 3-0 victory over Cagliari, in a moment that tells its own story about the Nerazzurri’s summer intentions.
Cameras caught Thuram leaving the pitch and walking directly over to the Cagliari wing-back before taking his seat on the bench.
The lip-reading was clear, as L’Interista note, “Well done, you’re strong.”
It was a generous gesture between professionals, but also something more deliberate than that.
Indeed, the context matters. Palestra is a long-standing Inter target. His performances at San Siro were visible to everyone.
Furthermore, after the final whistle, Chivu himself went over to congratulate Palestra, with the wing-back clearly mouthing “thank you” in response.
Therefore, two of the most influential figures in Inter’s dressing room, the coach and one of the star attackers, went out of their way to speak to a player the club have admired for some time.
It mirrors what was seen with Vicario during the Italy international break.
Marotta acknowledged Palestra’s quality in his pre-match interview while carefully noting he belongs to Atalanta. However, the message from the pitch was unmistakable.
Palestra is firmly on Inter’s summer list, with the Dumfries and Luis Henrique situations set to determine how aggressively they can pursue him.