Afroballers

Official: Southampton confirm signing of Ghanaian defender Mohammed Salisu

Isaac Darko

Ghanaian defender Mohammed Salisu has signed a four-year contract with Southampton, the Premier League have confirmed.

The 21-year-old was linked with a string of clubs following an impressive first full season in La Liga, before Southampton were the ones to activate his release clause.

Salisu said: ‘It is a very good feeling to be a Southampton player. I am very happy to be part of the club and I am looking forward to starting here.

‘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.

‘I know that the team expects a lot from me and I’m going to try to give all I can to help the team.’

Manager Ralph Hasenhuttl said: ‘This is an important signing for us. Mohammed is a player who fits our 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.

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl said: “This is an important signing for us. Mohammed is a player who fits our 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.

“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.

Salisu made 31 league appearances and was a key part of a rear guard that had the seventh best defensive record in Spain’s top division despite Valladolid finishing 13th.