Mohammed Salisu in action against Barcelona (Getty Images)
According to a report from Birmingham Live, Wolves have joined the race to sign Real Valladolid defender Mohammed Salisu. The 21-year-old, who has a £10m release clause, is also a target for Manchester United while the likes of Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have also been linked in the past.
Having started out at the African Talent Football Academy, Salisu moved to the Valladolid youth setup in 2017. The defender soon became a regular for the club’s B team and went on to make his first-team debut in January last year.
Having largely featured for the B team last season, he has now become a regular in the senior setup during the 2019/20 campaign. Till date, he has featured 30 times across all competitions, scoring and assisting one goal apiece.
Wolves have had another solid season after 2018/19’s top-six finish. Nuno Espirito Santo’s men are 6th in the Premier League table, with 4th-placed Chelsea well within reach. They have also made it to the UEFA Europa League round of 16. For them to take the next step, there should be recruitment over the summer with a focus on central defence.
Over the course of the season, Wolves have used midfielders Leander Dendoncker and Romain Saiss in the backline alongside captain Conor Coady, as Willy Boly has had an injury-riddled season riddled. Max Kilman has broken into the side and has put in a few impressive performances.
However, Ryan Bennett was allowed to leave on loan in January indicating that he doesn’t belong in the manager’s plans. Furthermore, his contract expires next year. Hence, bringing in a new centre-back would be the right way to go about things for the Midlands outfit.
Having said that, Valladolid’s Salisu would be a wise addition for Wolves. The 21-year-old has shown great potential in his first full season with Valladolid. So far this term, he has featured 28 times in all competitions. He hasn’t missed a single of Valladolid’s La Liga matches, starting in all but one of the 26 games.
The fact that the likes of Manchester United and both Madrid clubs are interested in him should provide an indication of the potential that he possesses. At 21, he is still young and would only get better the guidance of a coach like Nuno.
Wolves need to add more depth at the centre-back department, with Ryan Bennett seemingly not part of the plans at the Molineux. And, Salisu, to that end, would be a smart addition. The 21-year-old has demonstrated a lot of potential so far. He should only get better with age and experience. At £10m, he would be a bargain.
