Crystal Palace are close to signing 18-year-old Atalanta defender Honest Ahanor on loan for the 2026-27 season, Footynaija reports.
The move has an unusual link to Chelsea, who have reportedly agreed a £40m (€48m) package with Atalanta for the Italy youth international.
Chelsea cannot simply sign Ahanor and send him to Palace because they have already loaned Axel Disasi to the London club. Premier League rules limit clubs to one loan player from the same domestic club at a time.
A different plan has therefore been agreed. Ahanor will move directly from Atalanta to Palace on a season-long loan. Chelsea and Atalanta have also signed an agreement that will see Ahanor become a Chelsea player permanently in June 2027.
The arrangement allows Palace to add Ahanor without creating a second Chelsea-to-Palace loan.
Palace manager Pierre Sage wants defensive cover after Chadi Riad suffered a serious knee injury during the opening weekend. Riad was injured during the 2-0 defeat by Everton on 22 August and was replaced in the 72nd minute.
Ahanor, who was previously linked to Real Madrid, can play at centre-back and left-back. He made 22 Serie A appearances for Atalanta last season and also played nine times in the Champions League.
The defender also has a possible international choice to make. Born in Aversa, Italy, to Nigerian parents, Ahanor made his senior Italy debut in June 2026. He came on against Luxembourg before starting against Greece four days later.
Both appearances were friendlies, which means he could still have a route to Nigeria under FIFA’s eligibility rules if he meets all the conditions.
His current focus, however, is Italy, while his immediate club future is set to take him to Crystal Palace before his planned move to Chelsea in 2027.
