Newcastle United will continue to keep tabs on Mohammed Salisu this season after missing out on a January transfer following Dragan Solak completing his takeover of Southampton.
That’s according to 90min, who note the Toon wanted Salisu to be one of their first arrivals of the window. Eddie Howe and the Magpies’ recruitment team identified the 22-year-old early on as a player they wanted in the mid-season market to improve their leaky defence.
Initial talks between St James’ Park and St Mary’s chiefs over the Ghanaian progressed well with a £40m fee mooted. Southampton’s valuation included potential add-ons and bonuses Newcastle could owe depending on how Salisu performed on Tyneside after any transfer.
But Serbian billionaire Solak threw a spanner in the works when he bought a majority stake in the Saints. Per Sky Sports, he paid £100m for 80% of the south coast side with Katharina Liebherr retaining 20%. Solak bought his shares from Gao Jisheng, who invested in 2017.
One of Solak’s first acts as Southampton’s majority owner was to veto Salisu’s transfer to Newcastle. He considers the centre-half a key part of their present and future. The Toon then turned to alternative targets like Sven Botman, before landing Brighton’s Dan Burn.
Newcastle retain interest in transfer for Southampton’s Salisu
Newcastle retain an interest in Salisu and will continue tracking the Southampton defender ahead of the next transfer window. A revived pursuit at the end of the season will likely hinge on Howe avoiding relegation without the Saints’ £11m signing from Real Valladolid.
Salisu is a long-term target of the Toon, as The Athletic report Head of Recruitment Steve Nickson covets the centre-half. The Saints will no doubt be reluctant to let him leave in the summer, though. He has started 20 of his 21 Premier League appearances so far this term.
Danny Murphy also lauded the defender after his performance against Manchester City in January. He helped the Saints to a 1-1 draw with the Etihad Stadium natives on the 22nd.
“It was a phenomenal performance,” Murphy said on BBC’s Match of the Day. “He has had his critics in certain games this season and he can be erratic.
“But it was a perfect performance… It was a mixture of his aerial ability, his reading of the game, his blocks, patience [and] his passing when he came out was good.”
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