Joe Aribo aware of Rangers demands in interesting Ibrox transfer reveal
Southampton midfielder Joe Aribo is aware of what it takes to succeed at Rangers.
The 29-year-old was a key player for Steven Gerrard’s league title-winning side in Govan and reached the Europa League final with the Gers a year later, scoring in the final against Eintracht Frankfurt, which they eventually lost on penalties.
Aribo and Russell Martin were linked with a reunion at Ibrox, but the Nigeria international ended up staying at Southampton.
Nicolas Raskin and Connor Barron are now Danny Rohl’s preferred midfield pivot, but it remains to be seen whether the German manager will opt to strengthen the engine room in January.
Danny Rohl to decide on Joe Aribo return at Rangers
It would be interesting to see Aribo return to the Gers in the winter transfer window, Gordon Dalziel says.
The Scotsman believes the midfielder’s experience of playing at Ibrox can come in handy, but isn’t sure whether the Light Blues will sign him.
In the end, it could come down to whether Rohl wants the Nigerian ace, with the former Sheffield Wednesday boss set to take charge of the recruitment after Kevin Thelwell’s departure.
Speaking on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard on 9 December, Dalziel said: “Aribo knows the club. It’s under different ownership and a different manager, but he knows the supporters, the demands put on you when you play for a club the size of Rangers. It’s an interesting one.”
The Scotsman added: “I don’t know if I can see it happening or not because I’ve not really heard anything going down that road. He was good at Rangers. He was a good player. But it just depends on how the manager going forward is going to play, if that’s the sort of player he wants in his squad and he wants in his team.”
Aribo has been linked with a return to Ibrox since last season, and with the midfielder falling down the pecking order at Southampton, the Glaswegian outfit could potentially now take advantage of his situation.
Joe Aribo nightmare at Southampton in detail
Martin reunited with the likes of Max Aarons in the summer, with the former Gers manager playing with the defender at Norwich City, but things didn’t go to plan for the Scottish manager in G51.
Aribo will arguably be happy he didn’t sign for Rangers, considering the turmoil in recent months, but the Nigerian ace has clearly been enduring his own nightmare at St Mary’s Stadium.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists | Titles won |
| 149 | 26 | 25 | 2 |
Will Still excluded the midfielder from his plans at the Saints, and the former Light Blues star only made his first appearance in the Championship under interim manager Tonda Eckert in November.
Aribo hasn’t started in any of his seven appearances for Southampton in the current campaign, and fans in G51 will certainly embrace him if he returns.
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