West Ham United have reportedly joined Manchester United in pursuit of Mohammed Salisu, who has a £10.8 million release clause.
According to a report by Daily Mail, Manchester United are interested in signing Mohammed Salisu from Real Valladolid in the summer transfer window. The Red Devils, though, are not the only Premier League club after the 21-year-old, who has a £10.8 million release clause, with West Ham United, Everton and Southampton also keen on signing him.
Mohammed Salisu joined Real Valladolid in 2017 and made a solid impact for the club’s youth and reserve sides before being promoted to the first-team setup. The 2019/20 season has seen the 21-year-old embark on his maiden La Liga campaign and he has been quite impressive to say the least.
CENTRE-BACK (L):
Walter Samuel compliments Lucio well, with his passing, dribbling and defending being considerably more measured. He also boasted impressive physical and defensive qualities.
Mohammed Salisu shadows his style well, possessing the quality to play this role well. pic.twitter.com/69fBK6DXOF
— ? (@Tw3rcazette) June 29, 2020
Salisu has missed just 3 of the 34 La Liga games that Valladolid have played this season, even chipping in with a goal and an assist. His main impact, though, has been at the back, standing out with his prowess on the ball as well as his reading of the game. His progress has been noted by Premier League clubs, with Manchester United and West Ham interested.
Manchester United seem to be in the market for a centre-back this summer and recent displays by Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly justify that. With Phil Jones being an afterthought and Marcos Rojo and Chris Smalling likely to be sold, United do need to sign a centre-back to provide competition to the faltering duo of Lindelof and Bailly.
To that end, Manchester United have been linked with a number of centre-backs, with Pau Torres also emerging as a target lately. Salisu, though, would complement Harry Maguire well with his qualities and is a viable target as well. West Ham United, on the other hand, are in desperate need of defensive reinforcements.
The Hammers already have one of the worst defensive units in the Premier League. To top it off, marquee defender Issa Diop has been linked with a summer exit, meaning the Hammers need to sign a top class centre-back ahead of the 2020/21 season. Salisu is, therefore, an attractive option, especially seeing as his £10.8 million release clause will fit their miserly budget.
Apart from Manchester United and West Ham, Everton and Southampton have also enquired about the 21-year-old Ghanaian defender. Southampton, though, are haggling over the transfer fee and are at the bottom of the chasing pack. The Toffees, on the other hand, view Salisu as one of many central defensive targets, in addition to Jean-Clair Todibo and Gabriel Magalhaes.
Meanwhile, the report also suggests that Manchester United are not yet serious about signing Salisu, meaning West Ham and the other suitors could have a good chance of snapping him up. The defender is also keen on making the switch to the Premier League and it remains to be seen where he ends up going this summer.
