Rennes president Nicolas Holveck says his outfit knew from the onset that Real Valladolid defender Mohammed Salisu preferred the English Premier League.
The 21-year-old is reportedly close to joining Southampton after agreeing a four-year deal and completing his medical examination.
Salisu was one of the standout players for Real Valladolid in the just ended 2019/20 LaLiga season - making 31 league appearances, scoring one goal, and registering one assist.
Rennes had been rumoured to be in the race to sign him this summer but that is very unlikely with Nicolas Holveck revealing that Salisu's ambition is to play in England.
"Unfortunately, we knew from the start, Salisu preferred the Premier League because he is English-speaking," Holveck told RMC Sport.
"He told us very humbly, and we respect his choice, that the Premier League was his priority. We had doubts about his ability to obtain the work permit in England. It seems that he has acquired this permit.
"He would, therefore, be moving towards the Premier League. We were his first choice in case of non-obtaining of the license. Today, the position of central defender is the priority of our transfer window."
Manchester United, West Ham United, Arsenal, and Everton are also reported to be interested in acquiring his services this summer.
source https://footballghana.com/we-knew-from-the-start-salisu-preferred-the-premier-league-rennes-president-nicolas-holveck
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