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Chelsea<\/a> have expressed interest in signing Udinese centre-back Oumar Solet to reinforce their backline next season, as per Tuttomercatoweb<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n Solet came through the youth ranks at French lower-division side Stade Lavallois, where he made his debut on 4 August 2017 in the Championnat National against US Concarneau.<\/p>\n His strong performances for Lavallois, alongside his consistent involvement with France U19 \u2014 where he featured 12 times \u2014 earned him a move to Olympique Lyonnais in January 2018.<\/p>\n However, it was at FC Red Bull Salzburg that Oumar Solet truly made his breakthrough after joining the 17-time Austrian champions in July 2020.<\/p>\n He went on to make 106 appearances for Die Roten Bullen, helping them secure three consecutive Austrian Bundesliga titles (2020\u201321, 2021\u201322, and 2022\u201323) as well as the 2021\u201322 Austrian Cup.<\/p>\n The centre-back has since delivered assured, commanding performances in Italy following his free transfer<\/a> to Udinese in January 2025.<\/p>\n In the ongoing campaign, he has been an ever-present figure at the back, featuring in 33 of Kosta Runjai\u0107\u2019s side\u2019s 36 Serie A games this season.<\/p>\n However, with a year left on his contract, it appears Udinese are preparing for Solet\u2019s departure, as tuttomercatoweb claims the Italian club are exploring potential replacements should the 26-year-old depart in the summer.<\/p>\n The report adds that several clubs, including Chelsea, have shown interest in the centre-back, while Inter Milan, Atalanta and Bologna are closely monitoring him.<\/p>\n However, it appears the Blues are set to steal a march on other interested clubs, with the Italian outlet reporting that the London giants hold the advantage in the race for the 6ft 3in colossus.<\/p>\n Chelsea currently lack both experience and leadership in defensive areas, and bringing in a centre-back capable of organising the backline and commanding the 18-yard box would go a long way toward addressing their defensive issues, making Solet a strong fit for that role.<\/p>\n He has already demonstrated strong leadership within Udinese\u2019s defence, where he operates as a commanding presence.<\/p>\n The Frenchman is also highly effective in possession, with excellent distribution and build-up play, qualities that would align well with the tactical approach the potential new manager will look to adopt next season.<\/p>\n More interesting is that a move for Solet could see the Blues pay a considerable fee, possibly slightly above his \u00a322m Transfermarkt<\/a> valuation.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"Rememore](\"https:\/\/football-talk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/FootballTalk_New_Chapter-rememore.png\")
<\/a><\/div>\nChelsea leading the race to sign Solet<\/h2>\n
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