On 30 August 2012, De Luca joined Atalanta on loan for the 2012–13 Serie A season. As part of the deal, Atalanta's Moussa Koné moved in the opposite direction. He made his Serie A debut on 18 September, against Milan. His top flight goal came on 4 November, the last of a 2–1 away win over Sampdoria. He appeared regularly for "La Dea", mainly as a backup to Germán Denis.