The talented full-back looks destined for a switch to Europe after a remarkable rise to stardom in his homeland with Lanus
The Premier League, and more specifically Manchester United, has a strong history when it comes to Argentine players. The Red Devils have regularly raided the Albiceleste's talent pool down the years, bringing in the likes of Juan Sebastian Veron, Gabriel Heinze, Carlos Tevez, Angel Di Maria, Marcos Rojo and Sergio Romero, while Alejandro Garnacho and Lisandro Martinez are currently representing the reigning world champions at Old Trafford.
It has been reported that the Red Devils have their eye on another promising Argentina starlet in the form of Julio Soler, who is already earning senior international recognition at the tender age of 19. Soler has been playing regular football for Lanus in Argentina's Primera Division for two years, and he looks ready to take the next step in his fledgling career.
The Premier League seemingly beckons for Soler, but it's by no means a foregone conclusion that United will win the race for his signature. That's because Liverpool are also said to be huge admirers of the teenager, and a bidding war between two of English football's biggest clubs could be on the cards next summer if he stays on his current trajectory.
It's no exaggeration to say that Soler has the potential to be a leading figure for Argentina's next generation, and GOAL is here to explain what makes him such an exciting prospect…
Where it all began
Soler was born in Paraguay on February 16, 2005, but moved to Argentina as a child and started to pursue a path towards professional football. Boosted by the guidance of his father Jose, who played in the Paraguayan top-flight for Sol de America, Soler eventually attracted the attention of Argentinos Juniors as a child.
He honed his skills in the academy best known for producing global icon Diego Maradona, but his journey took an unexpected twist when he played in a 2017 match against Lanus. Argentinos Juniors lost 1-0, but Soler's performance impressed everyone, including then-Lanus first team manager Ezequiel Carboni, who was in the stands to watch his son Valentin in action.
According to , Carboni said to reserves coach Rodrigo Acosta: "We have to go and get him now." Two days later, Soler made the swift nine-mile trip across Buenos Aires to begin his Lanus career, though Argentinos Juniors still managed to retain 40 percent of his economic rights.
Lanus also employed Soler's father as a kit man for their children's team, and the family gave approval for the youngster to live in the club's boarding house. By 2021, Soler had worked his way up to the reserves squad, and the following year he was handed his senior debut at 17.
When Julian Aude went down injured in the 77th minute of a Copa de la Liga Profesional group-stage clash against Independiente on April 30, 2022, Soler was thrown on as his replacement, and made a big impact as Lanus went on to seal a 1-0 victory courtesy of a stoppage-time winner from Angel Gonzalez. Soler would also make three league appearances that year, but would have to wait for a regular role.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportThe big break
Soler made 12 appearances for Lanus across all competitions in 2023 as they finished fourth in the Primera Division and qualified for the 2024 Copa Sudamericana. However, under the stewardship of Ricardo Zielinski, Lanus made a poor start to the 2024 campaign, losing two of their first three Copa de la Liga games, which led him to promote Soler into his starting XI.
The youngster shone in a 3-0 win over Platense, and has been a fixture in Zielinski's line-up ever since. Soler was one of Lanus' top performers in the first half of the year and also managed to break into Argentina's Under20 set-up. On June 10, Javier Mascherano started Soler in Argentina's final warm-up game for the Olympics, and he notched an assist in a 2-0 win against Paraguay. That impressive display convinced the ex-Liverpool and Barcelona midfielder to include Soler in his 18-man squad for the Paris Games.
Geronimo Rulli, Nicolas Otamendi and Julian Alvarez took the three over-age spots, while Thiago Almada also made the cut, giving Soler the chance to play alongside four World Cup winners. Unfortunately, their presence did not guarantee a strong start to the tournament.
Argentina were upset by Morocco 2-1 in their first group game, which lasted 116 minutes due to a ridiculously drawn-out VAR review that eventually ruled out Cristian Medina's stoppage-time equaliser. It was a crazy introduction to international tournament football for Soler, but he showed no sign of feeling the pressure in his 71 minutes on the pitch, and even set up Giuliano Simeone to score Argentina's only goal of the game.
Soler retained his place in subsequent wins over Iraq and Ukraine as Argentina bounced back to reach the quarter-finals. There would be no fairy-tale finish for Soler, though, as Mascherano decided to drop him to the bench against hosts France. Soler came on as a half-time substitute in the last-eight tie, but left the field in tears after just 30 minutes due to injury, and Les Bleus managed to close out a 1-0 victory.
(C)Getty ImagesHow it's going
Argentina's Olympics campaign was a huge disappointment, but Soler was able to return to South America with his head held high. He made the most of every minute he got on the pitch and put himself on the radar of top clubs across Europe.
The teenager emerged as a more mature footballer for the experience, too, and immediately picked up from where he left off at Lanus. He played a vital role in their run to the Copa Sudamericana semi-finals, even scoring one of the penalties in their shootout win over Independiente Medellin in the last eight.
Lanus ultimately crashed out against Cruzeiro, and are now destined to finish the season without silverware, but it will go down as Soler's breakout year. That was confirmed in October, when Lionel Scaloni drafted him into the Argentina senior squad for the first time, after an injury to Marcos Acuna.
Unfortunately for him, Soler was an unused substitute as Scaloni's side played out a 1-1 draw against Venezuela and a 6-0 win over Bolivia in their most recent set of World Cup qualifiers. He got to witness a Lionel Messi masterclass up close in the latter game, though, as the Inter Miami star scored a hat-trick and provided two assists.
Not many teenagers get the chance to rub shoulders with Messi; it's a testament to how far Soler has come in such a short space of time. He was understandably a little bit star struck in training, as he admitted to reporters: "I haven't spoken to Messi much. I've watched him on TV all my life and now he's right here, it's amazing. It doesn't seem real."
Soler didn't receive a call-up for Argentina's November qualifiers, but that shouldn't dishearten him. The Lanus ace is way ahead of schedule development-wise, and will remain in Scaloni's thoughts ahead of the 2026 World Cup, especially if he seals a switch to Europe next year.
Getty Images SportBiggest strengths
Soler is a forward-thinking left-back with bags of energy and pace. He's already a very mature, technical player with a good range of passing and an aggressive streak that makes him difficult to get past or dispossess.
There are often times when Soler takes it upon himself to get Lanus up the pitch, accelerating away from his marker effortlessly even in the tightest of spaces. He has a knack for drawing fouls, can keep the ball under control at top speed and always plays with his head up, which is a sign of his general footballing intelligence.
Soler relishes one-on-one duels, too, and rarely comes off second-best. He has everything needed to make it to the very top of the game, it will just be a case of keeping his feet on the ground as the hype around him continues to grow.