NEWCASTLE are lining up a summer move for Southampton defender Mohammed Salisu.
The Magpies considered signing the Ghana international in the January transfer window of 2022 soon after the takeover by the Saudi investment fund PIF.
Salisu, 23, fits the age and profile of the type of player Newcastle are keen to recruit and they see the defender as someone they could develop into a top star.
Salisu, who joined Southampton in the summer of 2020 from Real Valladolid, is set to enter the final year of his contract at St Mary’s this summer and Newcastle feel they could land him for a cut-price fee of £15million or less.
The powerful defender is expected to leave Southampton in the summer if they suffer relegation from the Premier League.
The Saints currently sit 19th in the Premier League table, but they are just one point adrift of 17th-placed Leeds.
Read More on Football
Three points separate the bottom six teams, including Leicester, West Ham, Everton and Bournemouth.
Despite a poor start to the 2022-23 campaign, Southampton have started to veer back on track in recent weeks.
Following the dismissal of Nathan Jones, former coaching assistant Ruben Selles took over as manager.
In his first game, the Saints claimed a 1-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and they won by teh same scoreline against Leicester on Saturday night.
Most read in Football
FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
Southampton are also at risk of losing young star Romeo Lavia, who signed from Manchester City last summer.
The 19-year-old has been linked with a move to Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
