SAINTS chief executive Martin Semmens confirmed Mohammed Salisu came to the club with a “medical issue” but added: “He is going to be a superstar in the future.”

The Ghanaian centre-back is yet to feature for Saints since moving from Real Valladolid for £10.9million last August.

Club chief Semmens admitted he thought the defender would not have played until mid-October, due to the problem – but further setbacks have caused a debut to be delayed.

Salisu has been an unused substitutes six times for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side this season.

Asked about the Ghanaian, Semmens told BBC Radio Solent: “Let’s lay the facts out.

“He came to us with a medical issue. We knew he had it, we knew he probably wouldn’t play until October-time, I would guess. From our perspective, we made that decision.

“That decision is on me, it’s not on him, it’s not on Ralph. We made that decision because believe he is going to be a superstar in the future.

“We expected him to be available say mid-October, early November. He was getting good, on track, then he had a setback that probably pushed him into December.

“Just when he was ready, just when he was training every day and doing well, he picked up a muscle injury. I think it was after the Fulham game in the warm-down.

“He was ready to play. He was fit and Ralph would have happily selected him – but then he picked up a muscle injury. He is not too far away.”

Austrian boss Hasenhuttl has continually said the defender is a “long-term project” for Saints – a statement which is echoed by Semmens.

“I think we need to be really clear here. We are exceptionally happy with him as a person and a character,” he added.

“He is physically great, he fits our system, Ralph’s loved working with him. He will be a great player in our future.

“He’s 21. He had a difficult injury problem. He’s from a foreign country and is new into this country – in a lockdown environment.

“I think we have to give him a shot.

“If you listen to Ralph’s press every week as I do, he says the same thing now. We probably won’t buy players in the future that will be at the level to help us on day one.

“They will need a few months. Possibly even a season to get to the level where they are a top-level Premier League player.

“If you want to buy a top-level Premier League player, who is going to feature every week in the Premier League – it’s going to cost you a lot of money.

“Our model is to take the bright young things from around Europe and improve them. I promise you, there’s no doubt he will get to that level.”