Premier League side Southampton have now taken the lead in the race to sign Real Valladolid defender Mohammed Salisu.
Spanish outlet AS says that while Ligue 1 side Rennes had initially reached an agreement with the Spanish club, Salisu and his agent have now ended talks with them.
As a result, they are now looking at the Premier League as a potential destination. The report from AS then cites SER Deportivos Valladolid to say that Southampton, Newcastle United and Wolves are in the running for the defender, stating that the Saints are now the ‘new favourite’ to sign the Valladolid man.
Sky Sports had reported about Southampton’s links with a move for Salisu back in January and it was stated that he has a release clause of only £10.2 million.
Would Salisu be a good Vestergaard replacement?
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I'd rather have Vestergaard
The report from AS has also stated that Valladolid have already signed Javi Sanchez on a permanent deal from Real Madrid to ‘alleviate’ Salisu’s exit.
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Southampton’s interest in Salisu has now been reported in both Spain and England, so it does seem that the club are indeed looking to sign the Ghanaian.
Salisu has been a regular for Valladolid in the 2019/20 campaign, having made 29 appearances in all competitions. The 21-year-old has picked up a WhoScored rating of 6.75/10 this season and that is the joint-fourth-best for his club. It shows that he’s had a pretty good season for the La Liga club.
Southampton’s Jannik Vestergaard has been linked with a move to Leicester City in recent weeks. Assuming he is still available to buy for £10.2 million, if he does leave, signing Salisu for a fee as low as that could be a good move for the Saints.