Rangers: Sam Sodje urges Joe Aribo to leave Ibrox for Brentford
Joe Aribo has been continuously linked with a move away from Rangers and Sam Sodje wants him to make one of those rumours true.
The 25-year-old really stepped up to the plate in the second half of the 2021-22 season as he played out of position as a false nine to accommodate injuries to Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe.
He duly scored in the Europa League final but his true calling is as a midfielder and that is where Sodje a former Nigerian international, thinks he would fit in if he were to move to Brentford in the Premier League alongside fellow Super Eagles player Emmanuel Dennis.
“The fans are incredible. If you are signing for Brentford, you know you are signing for a very good club, it would suit them,” Sodje said to All Nigeria Soccer.
“Let’s forget about everything else, they will get games, that’s the other important thing. “It’s about going to somewhere that you will play games. Emmanuel has played in the Premier League before so he should be fine.
“Aribo coming in he has to go to a football club that he has to get games. If they can come to Brentford, it’s a great signing for Brentford and for them.
“The players that go to Brentford will know that they have to work hard. Next season will be tough but they will strengthen the squad and get the results early. The second season is always tough for any club that goes up.”
Make them pay
If Brentford, or any other Premier League sides, want to make an approach for Aribo then they should be made to pay through the nose for him because he has an ability no other player in Scottish football does.
The way he can manipulate a defender who is just inches away from him and have such confidence in being able to hold onto the ball almost without looking is incredibly enthralling to watch.
He is very similar to Paul Pogba in the way that he plays the game at his own pace and he won’t be rushed to do anything spectacular if he doesn’t think it is necessary.
It might harm a counter-attack at times but the Rangers very rarely have the space to counter as they often dominate league encounters in Scotland.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst can’t just replace a player of Aribo’s quality overnight so if Thomas Frank fancies him, he’d better come to Glasgow with his pockets brimmed full with cash.
In other Rangers news, we might have to sell one of our other star players this summer before it’s too late and we could get a big windfall of cash as a result.