The tall and talented defender who was mysteriously released - and could be on his way to Aston Villa

Aston Villa have made a rock solid start to as they look to navigate the complexities of playing in both the Premier League and the new-look Champions League, but it seems that Unai Emery still wants to add some depth (and perhaps even strength) to his squad to ensure it can compete on two fronts at the same time. Given that the transfer window is closed, however, the only way to do that is through the free agent market – and he may have found a player who fits the bill.

Buried deep in an HITC article which claims that Villa are among many, many teams considering a move for 27-year-old former Lille midfielder Yusuf Yazici - who was a part of Turkey’s Euro 2024 squad and could offer depth behind players like Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans – the report suggests that Emery may also be lining up a move for a defender who was mysteriously released by his club just days ago.

Oumar Solet is a former French age-group international who came through the ranks at Lyon before moving to Red Bull Salzburg in 2020, where he became a regular starter in central defence. Now 24, Solet was lined up to move to German Bundesliga side Hoffenheim in a deal reported to be worth €7m (£5.9m), only for it to fall through after he failed a medical. Still, nobody expected him to leave Salzburg on a free shortly afterwards.

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Solet and Salzburg parted ways by “mutual agreement” on 14 September, which no further explanation offered. Were his medical issues so severe that his club no longer saw a way to continue playing him? Had there been a falling-out behind the scenes or disciplinary concerns? Did Salzburg simply prefer to drop the last year of a contract with a player who was pushing for a move rather than being committed to his current employer? The logic behind the decision is unclear, but it remained a significant surprise. It’s rather less of a shock to see Premier League sides among those considering making a move themselves.

Villa are “weighing up” a move, according to the HITC report, but there have also been links with West Ham United, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, as well as continental sides ranging from Inter Milan to Marseille to Anderlecht. For most of these clubs, Solet would likely be depth rather than an immediate starter, but there is plenty of evidence that he could shine at the very highest level.

Solet has all of the basic attributes one expects of a centre-back – he’s tall at 6’4”, strong in the air, knows how to keep a tight lid on opposing players at set pieces and rarely gets caught out too badly with his positioning. But he also has a strong technical element to his game that makes him well-suited to handling opposing high presses.

Capable and confident with the ball at his feet, he looks for opportunities to carry the ball out of defence and while he doesn’t have extreme pace in his locker, he does have a solid passing game which makes sure he uses it well once he’s brought it upfield.

Solet hasn’t been fully tested at the top level – he only made two appearances for Lyon before moving to Austria, although he has got a dozen Champions League games to his name as well – but he has the fundamental skillset to thrive in a division like the Premier League where the pressure on the ball can be high and defenders who can help get the ball forward quickly are often prized. He should certainly suit Villa’s needs if they make a move to sign him, even if he isn’t necessarily jumping ahead of players like Pau Torres right away.

Of course, this would only be a smart move if he can pass a medical and concerns over the way he left Red Bull Salzburg can be laid to rest. There’s a process of due diligence that any club interested will have to follow to make sure that Solet is the player they want. But if Villa could use some beef in their back line, given that they only have five ‘recognised’ centre-backs including the Tyrone Mings, just making his way back from an ACL injury, Ezri Konsa who may be needed to cover at full-back at times, and Kortney Hause who hasn’t played since September 2022.

Someone will take a chance on Solet, unless the medical red flags are extreme, and he could be a brilliant budget pick-up for a team who need to add depth and – perhaps – a player who could compete for a starting spot at a highly competitive side. Let’s see if Villa really are interested in becoming that team…