Everton: Oumar Solet is the dream Mina heir
The RB Salzburg centre-half would be a “superb” signing for the Toffees…
Everton are considering a swoop for RB Salzburg Oumar Solet and have received a boost in their pursuit following recent revelations from the player himself.
Having survived the threat of relegation last term, manager Sean Dyche will need to ensure that his squad levels up this summer, and while the defence was not the crux of the Toffees’ issues last term, Conor Coady has moved on following his loan spell while Yerry Mina’s contract has concluded.
Refreshing the ranks with a well-placed addition to the backline would only enhance the collective squad, and given Dyche’s renowned defensive acumen as a coach, it looks like he’s targetting a top-class talent.
What’s the latest on Oumar Solet to Everton?
According to the Daily Mail, the Goodison Park side are set to wage transfer battle against Premier League rivals Newcastle United for the 23-year-old, with Serie A outfits Inter Milan and Torino also interested.
However, the English sides will be emboldened in their pursuit after the Frenchman stated, “the Premier League excites me a lot.”
No fee has been revealed, but Dyche and club owner Farhad Moshiri will now be assessing their options and considering the feasibility of a deal for Solet in the near future.
Who is Oumar Solet?
Towering above his confreres at 6 foot 4, Solet has impressed in the Austria Bundesliga and recorded a sensational average Sofascore rating of 7.42 last season, completing 89% of his passes and averaging 2.6 tackles and 3.4 clearances per game.
Now compare this with Everton’s current defensive options – Mina and James Tarkowski both recorded 7.20 scores in the English top-flight, while Michael Keane earned a 6.79 average rating. It’s clear immediately that an upgrade could be sourced here.
Given his stature, ball-playing assurance and robustness, Solet could be the perfect replacement for Mina, who was imperious on his day but confined to the injury department all too often on Merseyside after joining from Barcelona for £27m in 2018.
The Colombian only played seven times in the league last season due to said fitness problems, but impressed across the pivotal late stage of the campaign and was arguably one of the most important figures during this period.
Indeed, he completed 88% of his passes and forged 2.1 tackles and four clearances per outing – crucially netting a late equaliser against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the season’s penultimate match.
When drawing the parallels between Solet and the 6 foot 5 Mina, there’s evidently a semblance of style, which could benefit Solet as his positional peer could pass the baton and allow him to thrive in an identical defensive deployment.
If Toffees fans were not convinced already, the former France U20 international, praised as “superb” by one Salzburg podcaster – averaged a rating of 6.97 in last season’s Champions League across four fixtures, before producing a score of 7.10 across two legs against Roma in the Europa League knockout phase.
He can do it on the major stage, and he has exhibited his skill set with convincing regularity over the past year, and now Dyche must act on the player’s desire to ply his trade on English shores and cement a starting berth and a prominent role at Goodison Park.
