Joe Aribo, Super Eagles midfielder, has been signed by Southampton to a four-year deal.
The 25-year-old Nigerian international joins for a reputed £6 million transfer fee, which could increase to £10 million with add-ons.
Aribo moved from Charlton in 2019, spent three seasons at Ibrox, helped Rangers win the Scottish Premiership in 2021, and scored in the losing effort in the Europa League final.
Aribo described the club as “an wonderful club with a lot of history here.”
“The Premier League is the world’s top league. Since I was a young lad, I have been watching it. I’ve always wanted to perform here and demonstrate my abilities on stage”, he added.
“It’s an incredible sensation, a dream realized. It’s exciting to be here since this is the place I’ve wanted to be since I was a kid playing about.”
Ralph Hasenhuttl, the manager of Southampton, expressed his “great pleasure” in adding a player with “many characteristics” to his team.
“We think Joe can be a creative and energetic asset to our team. Being at ease in so many various roles is very beneficial for a manager and demonstrates his high level of football intelligence and quick assimilation of new information,” Hasenhuttl said.
“He has previously participated in a large number of high-caliber games in his career, and his performances in the Europa League demonstrate that he possesses the skills necessary to play in the Premier League. He has huge plans for this and is eager to prove to everyone that he can do it.”
Earlier, Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst had confirmed that Aribo would leave Ibrox this summer, and described him as a “very significant player” who had 26 goals in 148 games for the team.
Van Bronckhorst praised the man’s “excellent” work for the team.
Aribo, who had one year left on his Rangers deal, joins Mateusz Lis, Armel Bella-Kotchap, Romeo Lavia, and Gavin Bazunu as the Saints’ sixth summer additions.
Joe Aribo
Football player Joseph Oluwaseyi Temitope Ayodele-Aribo was born on July 21, 1996. He now plays as a midfielder for Southampton of the Premier League.
He started his club career at Staines Town and later spent four years in the English Football League with Charlton Athletic. He joined Rangers in 2019 and won the Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup there in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
Aribo, who was born and reared in London, represents the Nigerian national team since his ancestry qualifies him. He was a member of their team for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations after receiving his first cap in 2019.
Will Aribo be able to fit in Southampton?
Aribo is a skilled player who can operate in either a central or wide midfield position. Technically sound, he can efficiently use his long legs to block opponents from getting to the ball.
Speaking in October 2016, he claimed that “driving with the ball and moving up the pitch” were his skills.
Honors
Charlton Athletic
- EFL League One play-offs: 2019
Rangers
- Scottish Premiership: 2020–21
- Scottish Cup: 2021–22
- Scottish League Cup runner-up: 2019–20
- UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2021–22
