Aston Villa could sign Southampton defender Mohammed Salisu over Chelsea and Manchester United this summer, according to transfer expert Dean Jones.

Could Salisu leave this summer?

The Villans picked up a highly impressive 2-0 victory away to the Blues on Saturday evening, thanks to goals from Ollie Watkins and John McGinn. It was the latest sign of the progress being made under Unai Emery, with his side now sitting ninth in the Premier League table.

This summer, the hope is that plenty of transfer funds are available for Villa to boost their squad, as they look to go up another level next season in what will be Emery's first full campaign in charge. They have been linked with a move for Salisu recently, with the 23-year-old proving to be a key figure for Saints this season and potentially available for £25m.

He has started 21 league games in 2022/23 to date, averaging 5.4 clearances per game, as well as 2.5 aerial duel wins and 2.3 tackles, highlighting his defensive dominance. Now, a new update has emerged regarding his future, with Villa again in the mix to snap him up.

Are Villa the favourites to sign defender?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones said that he believes the Villans are more likely than Chelsea or United to sign Salisu in the summer window:

"Salisu's being linked with some massive clubs at the moment, and I think most of them are quite unrealistic given his current levels and what he's been able to achieve so far in his career. But I think this [Villa] is probably a bit more realistic.

"I'm still not convinced that Salisu's actually going to be leaving Southampton at all, but if he was to leave, then Aston Villa are the sort of club I could imagine [him joining]."

Salisu may be playing in a Saints side threatened by relegation currently, which doesn't necessarily suggest he has excelled throughout this season, but he could still prove to be a great signing by Villa this summer.

In terms of his quality "against the ball", he has been lauded as "one of the best defenders in the league" by former Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, which shows what an inspired addition he could be to Emery's back-line this summer.

With Tyrone Mings now 30 years of age, the six-cap Ghana international could possibly be viewed as a long-term replacement for him, as well as coming in as an immediate key man from the off and enhancing Villa's squad depth.