Ola Solbakken is set to join José Mourinho’s Roma as a free agent, so here’s a profile of the Norway international and how the Giallorossi could line up with him.
The 24-year-old landed in Rome in the afternoon (VIDEO) and is set to undergo his medical with the Giallorossi before signing a contract until 2027. He will be available from January 1, 2023.
Solbakken faced Roma in the Conference League last season when the two sides met four times, first in the group phase and then in the quarter-finals.
He bagged a brace in the famous 6-1 win against the Giallorossi in October 2021, one of the most humiliating defeats in the history of the Giallorossi in Europe.
Solbakken is a product of Melhus and Rosenborg academy and joined Bodo in January 2020. He made his senior debut with Norway last year and has three caps to his name with his national team.
A left-footed winger, the Norway international mostly plays on the right but can also be deployed on the opposite flank. You would often see him start wide, cutting inside to create opportunities for himself or his teammates.
He is technically gifted despite being 1,86m tall, so he can also be a threat to the opposing defences thanks to his physical skills.
Mourinho has been using a 3-4-2-1 formation for over a year now, so Solbakken is expected to play as one of the two attacking midfielders behind a sole striker, while it’s more unlikely to see him deployed on the wings, where he’d have more defensive duties.
This means that either Paulo Dybala or Nicolò Zaniolo could see their playing time reduced if Solbakken has a strong impact in the capital. However, he will only be available from January and is not expected to feature in Roma’s tournée in Japan between the end of November and December being under contract with Bodo until the end of the year.
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