Mohammed Salisu Abdul Karim is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a center-back for Premier League club Southampton.

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

Born in Accra, Salisu started his career at his local youth club Kumasi Barcelona Babies before joining West African Football Academy in 2013.

He left the latter for personal reasons in 2015 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. In October 2017, he joined Real Valladolid's youth setup.

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. He scored his first senior goal on 29 April, netting the equalizer in the 82nd minute of a 2–2 away draw against Racing Ferrol.

On 16 July 2018, Salisu was promoted to the senior Valladolid squad. 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.

On 22 May 2019, Salisu extended his contract to keep him at the club until 2022.

He made his La Liga debut on 18 August, starting in a 2–1 away victory over Real Betis.

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.

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.

Manager Ralph Hasenhüttl hailed his new signing, saying he was a future prospect who had all the qualities to come to the Premier League and help Southampton.

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."

Salisu made his Southampton debut on 11 February 2021, six months after signing for the club, playing the full 90 minutes and keeping a clean sheet in a 2–0 FA Cup away victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers as Danny Ings and Stuart Armstrong scored a goal each to allow Southampton move into the quarter-finals of the competition.

He made his Premier League debut three days later when he came on in the 72nd minute to replace the injured Kyle Walker-Peters, also against Wolverhampton Wanderers ending with a 2–1 loss at home.

Salisu made his first Premier League start the following week in a 1–1 draw with Chelsea, putting in an impressive performance.