Raffaele Palladino, 42, took over at Atalanta in November after the club sacked Croatian head coach Ivan JuriΔ following a poor start to the season.
He signed a contract through to the summer of 2027 but is expected to leave at the end of the campaign despite having fulfilled his immediate stabilisation brief, reports Nicolo Schira.
Sarri, who is currently in his second spell in charge of Lazio, would be moving between two of Serie A's most recognisable clubs.
His first stint with the Rome side produced a Coppa Italia in 2019. He has also won the Serie A title with Juventus and the Europa League with Chelsea, making him among the most decorated managers in Italian football.
The move from Rome to Bergamo represents a significant shift in environment and project. Atalanta, under sporting director Antonio D'Amico, have built one of the most cohesive structures in Italian football since Gian Piero Gasperini's departure to Roma last summer.
The Bergamo club have qualified for the Champions League in consecutive seasons and expect to compete at the highest level again next year.
Sarri's possession-based, technically demanding football β associated with high pressing and complex positional patterns β represents a different identity to the high-intensity transition game Atalanta became famous for under Gasperini. But the squad's quality, which includes Charles De Ketelaere among others, gives the incoming manager genuine material to work with.
His willingness to leave Lazio mid-contract β if that proves to be the case β would reflect the scale of Atalanta's offer and the ambition of the project being put to him. Bergamo is a club that has consistently punched above its weight in Europe and the prospect of building something durable there clearly appeals.
Atalanta finished this season in the Europa League positions after a turbulent campaign. A manager of Sarri's stature arriving with a four-year deal would send a clear statement of intent heading into a summer of significant rebuilding.