As Manchester United miss out on the European competitions, this is a season for Ruben Amorim to start working on a project and starting to push his philosophies into the current side, and to start with that, the chiefs at Carrington will have to back him with transfers, and one of those would be 25-year-old French centre-back Oumar Solet, who currently plies his trade for Udinese. He has been linked with a move to Old Trafford of late, and given how the Manchester Reds are looking to reinforce the defensive setup, his profile will add a blend of physical output with technical skills, which could end up aligning well with the tactical setup that the Portuguese head coach has deployed at M16.
Given how United were conceding goals left, right and centre last season, Ruben will have to start filling those defensive gaps to ensure that when next season comes around, the defensive line is not easily split up like it was this year.
The Stade lavallois academy graduate is an interesting choice; he brings a lot to the side…
Manchester United have made their first enquiry about Oumar Solet
Strengths
Given his stature of 1.92 meters, the 25-year-old has that commanding presence when it comes to aerial duels and physical contests, which makes him a formidable opponent for a lot of strikers in the English top tier. And then you complement those traits with his ability to read the game and anticipate the movements of his opponents; it makes him an effective option when it comes to interceptions and positioning.
And then he has that composure on the ball when it comes to playing with high passing accuracy, especially when he is tasked with initiating attacks from the back, and given that he does have the experience to feature in the defensive midfielder capacity earlier in his career, it helps out when it comes to his abilities with distribution.
Solet is deployed primarily in the central defensive role, but he can feature in a few different roles along the defensive side of things, bringing a sense of tactical flexibility that Amorim can use, especially in a varied role on and off the ball when it comes to his three-at-the-back setup.
Weaknesses
When I was looking into him, the first thing that I could see was his injury problems. Solet has seen some injuries in the past, and that may end up raising concerns about his long-term fitness, especially featuring in a league with the physical capacity of the Premier League. And while he has played in Serie A and the Austrian Bundesliga, the 25-year-old lacks extensive experience in Europe’s top-tier competitions, which can end up playing a role in his abilities when it comes to playing in high-pressure games.
Then there is his decision-making under pressure, given how at times his passing choices under intense pressing situations have ended up in turnovers.
Tactical fit at Manchester United and under Amorim
Man United eye Oumar Solet in the midst of strong competition
Man United eye Oumar Solet in the summer window
If we start judging from how Amorim’s Sporting Lisbon played, complemented by the early signs at Old Trafford, the Portuguese head coach is expected to put through a playing style that values solidity at the back and then combines that compact ability to defend with progressive build-up play. And the 25-year-old could complement that given how he likes to carry the ball forward and distribute accurately through the channels. And given how he offers physicality and then that technical ability, you can play him in different roles based on the players around him, handing Amorim a lot of tactical flexibility.
Given his frame and his ability in the air, he is also a valuable asset when it comes to offensive set-pieces, which adds another dimension to the attacking options from deadballs at M16, where we try to only whip it into Maguire these days.
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Author Opinion
Well, this is an opportunity to hand Amorim a mobile defender who can do a few things along the backline and play multiple roles based on the situation at hand. While there would still be some question marks around whether he can adapt to the Premier League and the competition within the squad, given how the Manchester Reds also have Maguire, Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven in the roster.