Juventus have secured the signing of Norwegian prodigy Elias Solberg, who has been tipped by many to follow in the footsteps of Erling Braut Haaland.
Norway has emerged as a factory for exciting young talent in recent years, with the likes of Haaland, Martin Odegaard and Jens Petter Hauge, who signed for AC Milan last summer, all making headway across Europe’s premier divisions after departing their homeland.
17-year-old Solberg has been regarded as the next Norwegian prospect who could excel at the highest level and Juventus were quick to snap the teenager up. The club missed out on Haaland despite being one of the first clubs to scout the generational forward.
The deal
🚨 Done deal: Juventus have found an agreement for Norwegian prospect Elias Solberg (17) from @UllKisaFotball. Juventus will pay a total of around 400.000 euro for the young midfielder. He will travel to Turin on Thursday to sign his contract. @juventusfc #Juve pic.twitter.com/lsILXxDu3N
— Arilas Ould-Saada (@arilasos) July 19, 2021
Norwegian journalist Arilas Ould-Saada reports that Juventus paid Ullensaker/Kisa IL €0.4m for Solberg’s services and the 17-year-old will sign his contract with the club on Thursday before starting training next Monday.
Speaking to vg.no (via Football Italia), Solberg’s father Espen said: “We will get on the plane on Thursday, then there will be a medical.
“He is 100% ready for this. It will be very exciting and he’ll be allowed to mature in peace and quiet, so it suits him perfectly.”
Milan’s interest
Juventus were not the only Italian outfit interesting in acquiring Solberg, a right-sided midfielder who notched five goal contributions in 803 minutes of OBOS-Ligaen (Norway’s second-tier) action for Ullensaker/Kisa IL in 2020.
Ould-Saada understands that the teenager had offers from AC Milan among many other clubs and even met with Paolo Maldini over a potential move to the San Siro. Juventus, however, were determined in their pursuit and they were able to convince Solberg to join. The club reportedly said that they would not miss out on another Norwegian prospect after letting Haaland slip through their fingers when he was just 17.
The player’s agent, Atta Aneke, also added that Solberg “chose Juventus because of the facilities and the environment” and the fact that the club has an “Under-23 team that plays in Serie C, where he can play regularly.”
Profile
Based on the clips I’ve seen of the youngster, Solberg looks like a playmaking wide player who likes to drift inside and occupy more central areas. He’s technically sound, adept in tight spaces and capable of playing in central midfield if required.
Watch this space.