Udinese are in advanced negotiations with Inter over a loan-with-obligation-to-buy deal for defender Oumar Solet, with the Friulani valuing the player at €25 million — a transfer that, if completed, would reshape the squad around which Jurgen Ekkelenkamp has built one of his more productive Serie A seasons.
The Solet situation matters to Ekkelenkamp directly because squad stability has been the quiet foundation of his contribution this year. The Dutch midfielder has appeared in 31 matches for Udinese under coach Kosta Runjaić, accumulating five goals and three assists at an average rating of 6.90 — numbers that place him among the more reliable contributors in a side that finishes the 2025-26 campaign in tenth place with 50 points from 37 matches.
Udinese's season has been functional rather than fluent: 45 goals scored against 47 conceded, a record of 14 wins, eight draws and 15 defeats. That marginal negative goal difference tells you the team has survived on competitive balance rather than dominance, and Ekkelenkamp's consistency in midfield has been part of what kept that balance intact. An AI overall rating of 73 out of 100, with a ceiling assessed at 78, suggests a player still ascending rather than plateauing at 26.
The Solet exit, should it materialise at the reported fee, would hand Runjaić a financial windfall but strip the backline of an established presence. How the club reinvests — and whether Ekkelenkamp's role expands or contracts in a reconfigured squad — will define whether this summer represents a step forward or a reset for a midfielder who has earned the right to expect more.