Chelsea have expressed interest in signing Udinese centre-back Oumar Solet to reinforce their backline next season, as per Tuttomercatoweb.
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.
His strong performances for Lavallois, alongside his consistent involvement with France U19 — where he featured 12 times — earned him a move to Olympique Lyonnais in January 2018.
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.
He went on to make 106 appearances for Die Roten Bullen, helping them secure three consecutive Austrian Bundesliga titles (2020–21, 2021–22, and 2022–23) as well as the 2021–22 Austrian Cup.
The centre-back has since delivered assured, commanding performances in Italy following his free transfer to Udinese in January 2025.
In the ongoing campaign, he has been an ever-present figure at the back, featuring in 33 of Kosta Runjaić’s side’s 36 Serie A games this season.
However, with a year left on his contract, it appears Udinese are preparing for Solet’s departure, as tuttomercatoweb claims the Italian club are exploring potential replacements should the 26-year-old depart in the summer.
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.
Chelsea leading the race to sign Solet
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.
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.
He has already demonstrated strong leadership within Udinese’s defence, where he operates as a commanding presence.
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.
More interesting is that a move for Solet could see the Blues pay a considerable fee, possibly slightly above his £22m Transfermarkt valuation.
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