Rennes president Nicolas Holveck has admitted that the club is aware Valladolid defender Mohammed Salisu is keen to move to the Premier League rather than the French club.
The Ghana international has been linked with a host of European clubs all summer after his strong performances for the Castile and Leon club where he played 31 times last season as they finished 13th in La Liga, seven points clear of the drop zone.
Rennes had been rumoured to be in the race to sign him for some time, but that is very unlikely to happen with reports emerging Salisu is on the verge of joining Southampton.