Southampton ‘probably will be hoping’ that they can keep hold of defender Mohammed Salisu in the summer transfer window, according to journalist Tom Barclay.

The 22-year-old is enjoying an outstanding second season with the Saints and has reportedly caught the eye of Newcastle United following their Saudi-backed takeover.

What is the latest news involving Salisu?

Salisu arrived at St. Mary’s from Spanish side Real Valladolid in a £10.9 million deal after a buyout clause in his contract was triggered, putting pen to paper on a four-year contract.

However, a couple of serious injuries made the 6 foot 3 ace’s maiden campaign on English shores a difficult one, limiting him to just eight Premier League starts throughout 2020/21.

But the departure of Jannik Vestergaard opened the door for Salisu to earn more opportunities on the south coast this time around. And the Ghanaian is certainly taking them.

As per WhoScored, the towering centre-back has produced 2.4 tackles, 2.4 interceptions, 4.2 clearances and 0.7 blocks per league game this season, placing him in the top three amongst his teammates in each metric.

Salisu’s impressive form saw him linked with a £40m move to Newcastle during January, although 90min claim the deal collapsed due to the arrival of Southampton’s new owners.

What has Barclay said about Salisu?

Southampton finished in a lowly 15^th place last term but have been much improved this time around and are currently sitting in 11^th position.

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And Barclay believes Ralph Hasenhuttl’s charges will be keen to keep hold of Salisu in order to continue the ‘progress’ that they have made.

He told GiveMeSport: “I think Southampton probably will be hoping they can hold onto him for this summer and continue with this progress, so we'll see.”

Should Salisu stay at Southampton?

Despite his magnificent form, Salisu still only has 39 Premier League games under his belt and remains relatively inexperienced at the highest level.

In the past, the likes of Vestergaard, Morgan Schneiderlin and Calum Chambers have departed the south coast club in order to take the next step in their careers with limited success.

Therefore, Salisu may be wise to wait at least another year before attempting to force his way out of Southampton, allowing him to receive regular game time under Hasenhuttl’s watchful eye.

It remains to be seen if Newcastle or any other potential suitor decides to test Southampton’s resolve in the summer, though, as a colossal bid could be too good to turn down.