Premier League club Southampton signed Ghanaian defender Mohammed Salisu from Spanish La Liga club Real Valladolid on a four-year deal for a reported fee of £10.9 million.
Salisu, a highly rated defender, is expected to strengthen the Saints’ defence following a campaign in which they conceded 60 goals, a total only surpassed by five other clubs which all finished in the bottom five positions.
Salisu joined Valladolid’s academy in late 2017 and had a stellar 2019/2020 campaign in which Valladolid secured its highest finish in nearly two decades.
Salisu said it was a “good feeling” to be a Southampton player and he pledged to “give all I can to help the team.”
“Southampton is a club with a very rich history in developing young players, so it is a very good club for me to develop my skills and to learn a lot as a young player,” the 21-year-old said.
Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhüttl said Salisu was an “important signing” for the club as he was a player who fit their profile well.
“He is young and has a great amount of potential, but he is also someone who has the qualities to come in and help the team as soon as he is up to speed with our way of playing,” Hasenhüttl said.
“I like what I have seen of him so far in his games with Valladolid. He is strong defensively, he is calm with the ball – something that is important in our team – and he has good speed too.”
