Atalanta are edging closer to completing the signing of robust defender Isak Hien from Hellas Verona, claims Gianluca Di Marzio. Negotiations between the clubs have reached advanced stages, while La Dea already have a personal agreement with the player in the bag.
Hien has given his go-ahead for the transfer, but it’s now up to Atalanta to present a satisfying offer to Verona. The parties will meet again next week for showdown talks, and it may take up to €12 million to convince the Gialloblu to green-light the move.
Hien, who joined Marco Zaffaroni’s team from Swedish outfit Djurgarden in 2022, enjoyed a decent maiden season in Serie A. The 24-year-old established himself as an indispensable first-team player in 2022/23, racking up 32 league appearances. His rock-solid defending helped Verona overcome Spezia in a relegation playoff fixture last month.
Meanwhile, Atalanta could be bracing themselves for the departure of the highly-rated Giorgio Scalvini. The versatile defender has developed into one of the hottest prospects in Serie A. Inter and Juventus have been on his trail for months. More recently, several clubs from the Premier League joined the hunt at the beginning of the summer.
With Kim Min-jae on the verge of exiting Napoli, Scalvini has also emerged as a frontrunner to replace the South Korea international at the Diego Maradona Stadium. Lens center-back Kevin Danso is another option for Rudi Garcia’s men, but they’re seemingly leaning towards an Italian defender.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s men qualified for next season’s Europa League, finishing six points adrift of fourth-placed Milan. However, among the sides to have secured European football for the upcoming campaign, Atalanta conceded the most goals, capitulating 48 times. That could be one of the reasons behind their pursuit of Hien.
 |
Follow us on Google News for more updates on Serie A and Italian football |