Aribo's link to Aston Villa persist as other EPL clubs eye Eagles star
The Nigeria international has thrived at Ibrox since making the move from Charlton Athletic in 2019
Aston Villa's continued to be linked with a potential move for Super Eagles and Rangers midfielder Joe Aribo, with the club named as one of several options to be ‘explored’.
The Nigeria international has thrived at Ibrox since making the move from Charlton Athletic in 2019. Aribo immediately established himself as a first term regular under current Villa boss Steven Gerrard and was a mainstay of the side that reached the Europa League final in May, where he scored the opening goal.
Able to play either as a centre-midfielder or further forward, Aribo scored nine goals and provided 10 assists across all competitions last term. His performances for the Gers prompted alleged interest from Villa , as well as fellow Premier League sides Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace and Fulham.
The 25-year-old has now entered the final 12 months of his contract leading to suggestions that he could leave Rangers this summer, if the midfielder fails to sign fresh terms. Having been touted with an interest in the former Charlton man last month, it has been claimed that Villa may still be able to complete a deal for Aribo before the end of the transfer window.
“I think Aribo will become an option a bit later in the window from what I’m told,” transfer journalist Dean Jones told Give Me Sport . “I think he had ideas of going somewhere else that have fallen through, and now they’re going to look at further options, and I know that Villa is just one of those that need to be explored. So that might happen but further down the line.”
Aribo was asked about his future while on international duty with Nigeria last month and would not be drawn on speculation over his future. However, he did praise the Villa boss for the role that Gerrard played in helping him succeed in Scotland.
"I'm not focused on that (transfer speculation). Right now I'm with Nigeria so I'm just focusing on playing with my country and representing my country,” Aribo said .
On Gerrard’s role in his career, he said: "He's a good coach on and off the pitch. He really helped me settle my first time away from home so I've got no bad word to say about him."
Meanwhile, Southampton are now leading the race to land Aribo, according to the Daily Record. The South Coast have tracked the versatile midfielder for months with scouts watching Aribo in action last season. Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forrest have also been linked to the Rangers ace and Football Scotland understands that Aribo has a release contract in his contract.
