Southampton chief executive officer Martin Semmens has confirmed the club "are in the process" of wrapping up a deal for Real Valladolid centre-back Mohammed Salisu.
In just his first season of senior football, the Ghanaian made headlines in La Liga with a streak of fine 2019-20 performances which attracted the interest of a host of top European clubs.
At the end, Saints and French side Stade Rennais went head-to-head for his signature but speculation suggested there was also initial interest from the likes of Manchester United, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid.