New Rangers deal for Joe Aribo should be Van Bronckhorst’s next priority
This week Rangers sorted out one big headache. The Gers secured the long-term future of defender Connor Goldson.
The next assignment for Giovanni van Bronckhorst will be to secure a long-term future for midfielder Joe Aribo.
The Nigerian midfielder enjoyed a spectacular 2021-22 campaign, and he was hailed as “priceless” by none other than Gers legend, Barry Ferguson.
Aribo has a contract at the club till 2023, which means, the Bears need to make a bold decision this summer.
Should they keep him or sell?
There’s no shortage of admirers though, with The Athletic reporting that Crystal Palace are serious about landing him in the summer.
For a player of his calibre, Rangers would be able to command a similar transfer fee they managed to get for Nathan Patterson when he joined Everton in January, if not more.
Every player has a price, and the Gers must get a big fee out of him if he moves on.
Aribo, however, has admitted recently that he is “very happy” at Ibrox, which indicates that he is probably not looking for a move.
“I never knew about anything, to be honest, I just focused on football,” Aribo said in an interview with Brila FM, as quoted by the Daily Record.
“I’m happy at Rangers, I’ve been happy since I got here and I’ve loved every single minute of it.
“So I’ve just been focused on here and I just want to stay focused because at the end of the day, I’m a Rangers player and I’m not thinking about leaving because I’m really happy here.”
If Rangers offer him a new deal, in all probability he’ll take it.
That is why getting him on a new improved deal is key.
At 25, Aribo is about to enter the peak years of his career. He was the driving force of the team in the first half of the campaign, before there was a slump in form.
Van Bronckhorst must convince him to stay and build a strong team around him. It will also reflect a statement of intent from the club.
In other Rangers news, a teenage goalkeeper for the B team is set to be offered a new deal at Auchenhowie but he will be loaned out for the 2022-23 season.