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RALPH Hasenhuttl speculated that media attention surrounding Mohammed Salisu could have contributed to the defender’s recent performances – calling it “a typical example”. The 22-year-old Ghanaian centre-back has received national plaudits following an impressive first full Premier League campaign with Saints, missing just two league matches so far. Salisu has topped defensive charts such as interceptions even up to now, with countryman Asamoah Gyan labelling him a “top three” defender in the league. However, since missing the 4-0 defeat at Aston Villa through a minor injury, the promising youngster’s game has been riddled with individual error – with Saints failing to win any match altogether. Mohammed Salisu's poor back-pass handed Watford an opening goal in March (Pic: Stuart Martin) Poor decision making at the back led to goals in both of the St Mary’s defeats to Chelsea and Watford, but Salisu is not the first Saints player to decline in performance after a media circus. Striker Armando Broja has scored just once in the Premier League since it was made public that Saints were trying to keep the loanee at the club, after scoring versus Brentford. Asked why Salisu’s performances have dropped off, Hasenhuttl responded: “Maybe since you have talked about how good he is, I don’t know. “The Man City game was where they all praised him for being fantastic and it was his last really good game he played.” Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl (Pic: Richard Crease) Salisu put in a man of the match performance as Saints held champions Manchester City to a 1-1 draw at St Mary’s in January. The likes of Newcastle United were subsequently linked to the defender towards the end of the winter transfer window. “It is always difficult for you as a manager to say what is going on in the background with him and all the things, all the rumours but I think this is a typical example of how quickly you can lose the focus and drop with your performances.” He continued: “I think it’s on me - and you can be sure that I speak with him very often about that – to get his head clear, because the last performances have been far away from what he has shown this time. He is a good package normally, we all know.” Only James Ward-Prowse has played more Premier League minutes than Mohammed Salisu this season (Pic: Stuart Martin) Salisu is under contract with Saints until 2024, after arriving from Spanish side Real Valladolid in August 2020, and The Athletic report that a resolution to an agency issue has opened the door to new terms potentially being discussed when the time is right. Saints have seven matches remaining of the current campaign, though, with every position in the Premier League being worth around £2million more. Salisu is likely to start again for Hasenhuttl when Arsenal visit St Mary’s on Saturday, April 16. “At the moment we are having the issue also with Ramadan sometimes and for these players it is not so easy,” the boss added. “Some handle it better, some don’t feel so energetic so these are the issues you have as a manager with some players sometimes. “But for me it is important that he gets back to the Sali he was before these last two or three games.”