Super Eagles star with Europa League final goal could snub former Turkish champions for Rangers

Rangers have a good history with Nigerian players, and they could sign one this summer, following the appointment of Russell Martin as coach, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Gers had a disappointing campaign last season, as they went trophyless. Rangers failed to mount a strong title fight against Celtic and failed to win either of the Scottish Cup or the Scottish League Cup.

That has brought about some changes at the club. At the end of the season, Rangers announced that they were parting ways with Russell Martin.

Then, today, they confirmed the appointment of Scottish manager Martin as coach.

The former Southampton coach has a knack for bringing his former players to his new club, and Aribo could join that trend.

Soccer Joe Aribo: Super Eagles star could leave Southampton this summer

Southampton got relegated from the English Premier League last season after finishing rock bottom.

A consistent player for them was Joe Aribo. The Super Eagles star enjoyed a lot of game time under Russell Martin before he was sacked in the second half of the campaign.

Aribo was also a regular for the Saints in the previous season, featuring in 35 Championship games in the run-up to their promotion.

Last season, after Martin got sacked, the Super Eagles star’s game time dropped significantly, with coach Simon Rusk even saying that Aribo did not fit his style of play.

Now, with Championship football staring at him and the possibility of being a bench warmer under Rusk next season, Aribo will be looking at opportunities elsewhere.

The 28-year-old midfielder has already been linked with a transfer to former Turkish giants Trabzonspor, but he doesn’t seem interested in a transfer to Turkey.

Soccer Which club will Joe Aribo join?

According to Daily Record, Joe Aribo could be on his way to Rangers. And with one year left on his contract, Southampton will be desperate to sell him this summer.

Rangers seems to be a likely destination, as his former boss from Southampton, Martin, is there now. More importantly, Aribo has great history at Rangers, as he spent three years at the club between 2019-2022.

During his time at Ibrox, he won the Scottish Cup and the Scottish Cup. He also scored in their painful penalty loss to Eintracht Frankfurt in the final of the 2021/22 Europa League.

Glasgow is home to Aribo, and returning there would do him a lot of good. Perhaps, he could even form a strong attacking connection with compatriot Cyriel Dessers.

Aribo is valued at €6 million on Transfermarkt. So Rangers should be a able to pull off the transfer.