Gian Piero Gasperini stated that he considered stepping down, but the chants by the Atalanta faithful convinced him not to leave.
BERGAMO, ITALY - OCTOBER 30: Atalanta BC coach Gian Piero Gasperini smiles at the end of the Serie A match between Atalanta BC and SS Lazio at Gewiss Stadium on October 30, 2021 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images)

Gasperini Likely but Not Sure to Keep Helming Atalanta

Gian Piero Gasperini is under contract with Atalanta until 2024, but his future at the club is not 100 percent certain. He and the Percassi family are in lockstep on how to reload after an underwhelming season. However, the new co-owner Stephen Pagliuca will be highly influential on the matter, Tuttomercatoweb informs.

The club is focused on the final fixtures, where they will try to get back into the top six. The coach has shared his vision with CEO Luca Percassi. He plans to bid farewell to a few aging players.  Very few contributors currently on the roster are locks to stay. Even cornerstones such as Duvan Zapata and José Luis Palomino, or Juan Musso, who joined last year, could depart for the right offer. The manager wishes to inject fresh blood through the returns of young loanees and some additions.

The American portion of the management has kept its cards close to the vest so far. They will wait it out to see how the campaign ends before unveiling their strategy. Furthermore, the key choices will have to be shared by all the components, including the call on Gasperini and his Atalanta future.

According to Calcio e Finanza, the entire board of directors has to rubber-stamp the decisions on major sponsorships and new debt, contracts over €3M per year, and sales and purchases north of the €30M threshold. The salary of the gaffer fits the criteria.

Gasperini would be one of the top Napoli targets if they moved on from Luciano Spalletti. Aurelio De Laurentiis is a big admirer of his methods. He tried to sign him in 2014, and the parties had already drawn up the contracts. However, the Azzurri owner ultimately stuck with Walter Mazzarri. He would have to mend fences to make up for such a move.