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Football
Why Mohammed Salifu’s £40M Move to Newcastle Fell Through in Winter Transfer Window
Isaac Darko
updated at April 12, 2023 at 7:55 PM
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Southampton defender Mohammed Salisu was on the verge of signing for English Premier League side Newcastle United in January in a deal worth around £40m.
Source: Twitter
Reports suggest that the Ghanaian central defender was close to switching to St James' Park in a transfer that also includes add-ons and bonuses.
However, the lucrative deal hit a snag because of Southampton's change of ownership, SportsBrief understands.
Newcastle were on the market in search of a central defender during the January transfer window and penciled down Salisu as their prime target to augment their porous backline.
But the Magpies were able to sign Brighton defender Dan Burn after the arrival of Southampton new owners pulled the plug early on Salisu's move.
Serbian billionaire Dragan Solak, the businessman behind TV operator United Group, fronted a takeover at St Mary's on 5 January, and one of Solak's first orders of business was to approve or block Salisu's proposed exit.
SportsBrief understands that22-year-old Salisu remains on Newcastle's wish list, but whether they attempt to sign him again in the future will likely rely on avoiding relegation from the Premier League this season.
The towering guardsman is yet to feature for the Black Stars after rejecting several call ups from the Ghana FA.
Mohammed Salisu: Why Ghana needs Southampton defender moving forward
Meanwhile, It was another good day in the office for Ghanaian center-back, Mohammed Salisu, in the English Premier League, as he helped Southampton to a clean sheet and victory against Leeds United.
Salisu, who joined the Premier League side in the summer of 2020, led in several aspects of the statistics in today's game, and like many other games this season.
Despite his incredible numbers, the Southampton guardsman is yet to honour an invite from the senior national team of Ghana, leaving many wondering over his reluctance.
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