Manchester United are ready to steal a march on other suitors and sign Real Valladolid and Ghanaian center back Mohammed Salisu.

The English giants are bent on activating the modest release clause of the young defender who has shone in the Spanish La Liga this season.

Agent of the player Juan Mata Senior who is the father of Manchester United's Juan Mata has opened the door for the departure of the player.

‘Salisu is another very young African discovery. This year he has been a sensation in La Liga because at only 20 years old, 1.90m, left-footed, and playing centre back in this division is not easy,’ Mata Sr told Vip Deportivo.

‘The truth is that I think this may be his window [to leave], because interests have arisen from many clubs, and he deserves it.’

Speaking about Salisu’s rapid rise earlier this season, Valladolid’s sporting director, Miguel Angel Gomez, said: ‘Salisu came as a youth. I was at the African academy and we bought him for €50,000. ‘Many teams and foreign clubs come to see him every weekend. He is a pure talent. ‘It’s normal that there are so many people following him because he has a brutal potential. In addition to genetics, he has a high capacity to learn. ‘It’s no wonder what is moving around him.’