Mohammed Salisu

Mohammed Salisu Abdul Karim (born 17 April 1999) is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Southampton.

Mohammed Salisu
Salisu in 2019
Personal information
Full name Mohammed Salisu Abdul Karim[1]
Date of birth (1999-04-17) 17 April 1999[2]
Place of birth Accra, Ghana
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)[2]
Position(s) Centre-back
Club information
Current team
 Southampton
Number 22
Youth career
2012–2013 Kumasi Barcelona Babies
2013–2015 WAFA
2017 African Talent Football Academy
2017–2018 Valladolid
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2019 Valladolid B 39 (1)
2019–2020 Valladolid 31 (1)
2020– Southampton 0 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 00:55, 13 August 2020 (UTC)

Salisu started his senior career with Valladolid, featuring for the reserve side before making his first team debut in 2019. He amassed 34 appearances for the club before joining Southampton for a £10.9 million fee in 2020.

Club career

Early career

Born in Accra, Salisu started his career at his local youth club Kumasi Barcelona Babies before joining West African Football Academy in 2013.[3] He left the latter for personal reasons in 2015,[4] and then remained over a year without a club before impressing on a trial at the newly-formed Nsawam branch of the African Talent Football Academy in March 2017.[5] In October 2017, he joined Real Valladolid's youth setup.[6]

Valladolid

Salisu made his senior debut with the reserves on 28 January 2018, starting in a 4–2 Segunda División B home loss against Coruxo. On 1 March, he extended his contract until 2021.[7] He scored his first senior goal on 29 April, netting the equaliser in the 82nd minute of a 2–2 away draw against Racing Ferrol.[8]

On 16 July 2018, Salisu was promoted to the senior Valladolid squad.[9] He made his professional debut on 9 January 2019, starting in a 1–0 away loss against Getafe in that season's Copa del Rey.[10]

On 22 May 2019, Salisu extended his contract to keep him at the club until 2022.[11] He made his La Liga debut on 18 August, starting in a 2–1 away victory over Real Betis.[12]

After the departure of Fernando Calero to Espanyol, Salisu became a starter for the Castile and León side, partnering Kiko Olivas.[13][14] On 26 October 2019, he scored his first professional goal by netting the second goal of a 2–0 home win against Eibar.[15]

2020–21 season

On 12 August 2020, Salisu joined Premier League club Southampton for a fee worth £10.9 million. The English club had triggered a buyout clause in the defender's contract with Salisu putting pen to paper on a four-year deal.[16] Manager Ralph Hasenhüttl hailed Salisu, saying:

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.[16]

Salisu had yet to feature for Southampton three months after he had signed with Hasenhüttl providing an update in November 2020, stating:

There is still a way to go I think for being match fit, but I am very happy he's here. He's a long-term project and I am sure that he will play a lot of games for us.[17]

Career statistics

Club
As of 13 August 2020[2][18]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup[lower-alpha 1] League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Real Valladolid B 2017–18 Segunda División B 131———131
2018–19 Segunda División B 260———260
Total 391000000391
Real Valladolid 2018–19 La Liga 0020——20
2019–20 La Liga 31110——321
Total 311300000341
Southampton 2020–21 Premier League 000000—00
Career total 702300000732
  1. Includes appearances in the Copa del Rey

References
  1. "M. Salisu". BeSoccer. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  2. "Mohammed Salisu". WhoScored.com. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  3. "Mohammed Salisu: Ghana's next defensive stalwart?". TheWorldNews.net. 12 August 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  4. Ampofo, Owuraku (12 August 2020). "5 things you didn't know about Southampton's new signing Mohammed Salisu". Joy Sports. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  5. Anka, Carl (11 August 2020). "Bootless in Kumasi, a star in Spain: Mohammed Salisu's rise to Southampton". The Athletic. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  6. Adams, Nuhu (29 November 2017). "Feature: Nsawam-based African Talent Football Academy launches operations". Ghana Soccernet. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  7. "Salisú amplía su contrato hasta 2021" [Salisú extends his contract until 2021] (in Spanish). Real Valladolid CF. 1 March 2018. Archived from the original on 24 September 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  8. "Racing Ferrol 2–2 Real Valladolid II". Goal. Leeds: DAZN Group. 29 April 2018. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  9. "Salisú da el salto" [Salisú makes the jump] (in Spanish). Real Valladolid CF. 16 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  10. Pérez, José (9 January 2019). "Ángel sale al rescate" [Ángel comes to the rescue]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  11. "Salisu amplía contrato hasta 2022" [Salisu extends contract until 2022] (in Spanish). Real Valladolid CF. 22 May 2019. Archived from the original on 4 July 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  12. Darkwah, Frank (19 August 2019). "Spanish La Liga side Real Valladolid commends Mohammed Salisu for making senior debut". Ghana Sports Online. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  13. Martínez, Carlos Raúl (26 August 2019). "Salisu pisa fuerte en su debut en la máxima categoría" [Salisu comes out strong in his debut in the top tier]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  14. Leone, Alessandro (18 October 2019). "Salisu, el muro del Valladolid" [Salisu, the wall of Valladolid]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  15. Fayiga, Kunle (26 October 2019). "Salisu nets first ever Valladolid goal in 2–0 win over Eibar". Goal. Leeds: DAZN Group. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  16. "Mohammed Salisu: Southampton sign defender from Real Valladolid". Sky Sports. 12 August 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  17. Rose, Dan (20 November 2020). "Salisu still has 'a way to go' before match fitness, says Hasenhuttl". Southern Daily Echo. Southampton: Newsquest. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  18. "K. Salisu". Soccerway. DAZN Group. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
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