Super Eagles midfielder “Joe Aribo” signs new deal with Southampton from Rangers in a deal which could rise to £10m
Premier League club, Southampton have completed the signing of Super Eagles midfeilder, Joe Aribo from Rangers in a deal that could rise to £10m.
The Nigerian international, 25, has joined on a four-year deal.
Southampton will pay an initial £6m for Aribo with further add-ons included in the deal.
He follows goalkeepers Gavin Bazunu and Mateusz Lis, defender Armel Bella-Kotchap and fellow midfielder Romeo Lavia to St Mary’s in this window.
Southampton have added a versatile player to their squad in Aribo who played in central midfield, attacking midfield, down the right and ended the season up front due to injuries elsewhere in Giovanni Van Bronckhorst’s Rangers squad.
Aribo said: ‘It’s an amazing club with a lot of history here, and it’s a good plan with what’s to come next. I’m really excited for the journey.
‘The Premier League is the best league in the world. I’ve been watching it since I was a young boy, it’s always been a goal for me to play here and show what I can do on this stage.
‘It’s an amazing feeling, a dream come true. This is where I’ve wanted to be since I was a child growing up playing, so to say that I’m here now is really exciting.’
Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl said: ‘Joe is a player with many qualities to his game, and we are very excited to welcome him to the squad in time for the pre-season trip to Austria.
‘We believe Joe can bring energy and creativity to our side. Feeling comfortable in so many different positions is very helpful for a manager and shows he has a high level of football intelligence, with the ability to take on new information quickly.
‘He has played a lot of games already in his career, at a very high level, and his performances in the Europa League prove he has the quality to play in the Premier League. This is a big ambition for him, and he is hungry to show everybody he can do it.’
Aribo moves to Southampton following an impressive season in which he was one of Rangers’ most used players, making 57 appearances, scoring nine times including in the Europa League final against Eintracht Frankfurt and set up 10 more.
