Following a promising debut season at Estadio José Zorrilla, Mohammed Salisu has earned himself a move to the Saints with an official announcement expected soon.
Salisu came through the ranks, making his first-team debut last season against Getafe in the Copa del Rey. The defender only became a regular this season but he has not looked out of place by any margin.
His performances were key in his side having the league’s third-best defence outside the top four.
According to DailyMail, Southampton will trigger his £10.9m release clause. Salisu had just signed a new contract in May which included the release clause.
At age 21, his quality is already evident and will only get better in the coming years.
Per 90 mins in La Liga this season, he completed 1.4 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and a league-high 5.1 clearances. French side, Rennes, were also interested but a move to the Premier League seemed too appealing to the Ghanaian.
However, his signing is unsurprising given that the Saints’ defensive record this season only betters four of the current bottom five. Ralph Hasenhuttl simply knows that has to improve going forward.
He recently stated in an interview with Hampshire Live that getting a new defender is a priority in the coming window.
When the deal does go through, Salisu will hope to have the impact that the likes of fellow countrymen,
Michael Essien and Asamoah Gyan, once did in English football’s top tier.
