Gian Piero Gasperini and technical director Giovanni Sartori have been at odds for a while, and the latter will leave Atalanta in the summer. La Dea recently hired Lee Congerton from Leicester as a replacement. They gave the newcomer the role of head of the international development of the sports area.
Sartori will exit after seven-and-a-half seasons at the club, Calciomercato.com informs. He joined from Chievo in 2014. He was instrumental in their rise and completed several of their best signings over the years. The veteran official contributed to bringing to the Orobici for instance Robin Gosens, Hans Hateboer, Morten De Roon, Remo Freuler and Ruslan Malinovskyi.
According to Corriere di Bergamo, Gasperini and Sartori have never been on the best of terms since Atalanta paired them. Still, they coexisted for multiple seasons, and they have thrived economically. They are one of the healthiest clubs in Serie A in that respect. The departure of the director will be part of the comprehensive restructuring of the front office following the partial takeover by Stephen Pagliuca. On top of Congerton, CEO Luca Percassi will have a more prominent role in the transfer market strategies.
Sartori will be in high demand in the summer, the site informs. Parma have expressed the most interest. However, he in unlikely to move to Serie B. Bologna are also among the suitors. He aspires to get the call from a top outfit. He is also very much open to the possibility of moving abroad, especially to the Premier League.