Hellas Verona defender Isak Hien is reportedly on the verge of completing his winter switch to Serie A top-four hopefuls Atalanta. As per Gianluca Di Marzio, the Bergamo outfit will shell out around €9m plus add-ons to sign the 24-year-old.
According to the report, Hien, expected to land at the Gewiss Stadium to undergo medical examinations on January 1, will pen a four-and-a-half-year contract until June 2028. Gian Piero Gasperini’s ambition to reinforce his porous backline this winter was no secret.
Indeed, unfazed by missing out on Alessandro Buongiorno’s arrival in the summer, Atalanta were keen to rectify that mistake by capturing a top-notch center-back this winter. After a feeble attempt to lure Wout Faes from Leicester City, La Dea have turned to domestic targets.
Hien caught Gasperini’s attention despite Verona’s season-long struggle in the lower reaches. He has been a rare bright light at the Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi since swapping Swedish outfit Djurgarden for Serie A in 2022.
In less than two years at Bentegodi, Hien has accumulated 44 appearances for Verona. His imminent arrival should bolster the quality of Gasperini’s backline and hand Atalanta a boost in their stuttering bid to secure the Champions League return.
Atalanta captain Rafael Toloi has endured an injury-riddled first half of the season. The same goes for Jose Luis Palomino and Berat Djimsiti. With Giorgio Scalvini and Sead Kolasinac shouldering most of the burden, the acquisition of Hien comes as a massive relief for Gasperini.
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