Atalanta BC are pleased to announce the permanent signing of Gianluca Gaetano from Cagliari.
The 26-year-old midfielder joins the Nerazzurri with 93 Serie A games to his name, having scored 10 goals and provided 11 assists, as well as five UEFA Champions League appearances. During his career, he has won the Serie A title with Napoli and earned promotion from Serie B to Serie A with Cremonese.
Born in Cimitile, a small town in the province of Naples, on 5 May 2000, Gaetano began playing football at an early age with ASD Future Boys, a historic youth club based in his hometown. His talent soon caught the eye of Napoli, who brought him into their Academy at the age of 11. He progressed through every youth level up to the Primavera side, where he scored 43 goals and registered 25 assists in 92 appearances, including 15 in the UEFA Youth League.
His performances earned him a first-team debut at the age of 18, making his senior bow in Napoli's 2-0 Coppa Italia victory over Sassuolo on 13 January 2019. Four months later, on 12 May, he made his Serie A debut away to SPAL.
The following season also brought his UEFA Champions League debut. On 10 December 2019, he featured in Napoli's 4-0 victory over Genk, a result that secured qualification for the Round of 16.
In January 2020, Gaetano joined Cremonese on loan in Serie B. Shortly after arriving, he scored his first professional goal in a 5-0 home win over Trapani on 16 February, also providing an assist. He finished the campaign with 15 appearances and three goals before spending a second consecutive season on loan at Cremonese, where he scored seven goals in 36 league matches.
After featuring in Napoli's opening two Serie A fixtures of the 2021/22 season, he returned to Cremonese on loan once again at the end of August, playing a key role in the club's promotion to Serie A with seven goals and five assists.
Gaetano spent the entire 2022/23 season with Napoli, making 12 appearances across all competitions (eight in Serie A, three in the UEFA Champions League and one in the Coppa Italia). On 21 May 2023, he scored his first Serie A goal for the Partenopei against Inter before celebrating the club's Scudetto triumph.
Having started the following season with Napoli, he joined Cagliari during the January transfer window in 2024, with the Sardinian club making the move permanent in June 2025. Across two and a half seasons in Sardinia, he made 76 appearances in Serie A and the Coppa Italia, scoring nine goals and providing nine assists.
A versatile player, Gaetano has been deployed mainly in attacking roles throughout his career, as an attacking midfielder or wide forward, while also impressing last season with his performances as a central midfielder.
At international level, he represented Italy at every youth level from Under-15 to Under-21, making 17 appearances and scoring three goals, one with the Under-16s and one each with the Under-20s and Under-21s.
The Percassi family, the Pagliuca family and everyone at Atalanta BC extend a warm welcome to Gianluca and wish him every success, both personally and with the team, in Nerazzurri colours.