Decision on Joe Aribo absolutely vital in shaping Rangers transfer strategy
Rangers have a big decision to make on midfielder Joe Aribo this summer.
The Nigerian midfielder will soon enter the final year of his contract at Ibrox. He will be off for a holiday after playing 70 games this season for both club and country.
In his latest Twitter post [15 June], he has hinted (though it’s not a definitive hint) that he wants to continue at Ibrox and therein lies the big decision with Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
Aribo enjoyed a spectacular 2021-22 campaign where he was arguably the club’s best player in the first half of the season by a country mile.
His form dipped a bit in the middle, but he returned to his best towards the end and helped the Gers reach the finals of the Europa League.
Rangers have already secured long-term deals for Connor Goldson and Steven Davis, but that hardly defines the transfer strategy for the window ahead.
Both these players would have left as free agents. Aribo’s situation is different.
He is a bankable asset and Rangers can hope to get a good value for him, something similar to what they did with Nathan Patterson.
The 25-year-old has been reportedly targeted by several Premier League clubs including Aston Villa [The Sun, 14 May].
It remains to be seen if Rangers offer him a new deal quickly which could be a big statement of intent or they sell him to the highest bidder and reinvest in the squad.
As of now, it’s not clear how Rangers are approaching the market, but the decision with Aribo, whatever it is, could be pivotal going forward.
In other Rangers news, a replacement for a club stalwart is ready and waiting to be signed if they can sort out a bid.