(Football news) Southampton and Rangers have reportedly agreed a fee for Joe Aribo. Premier League club Southampton are set to pay an initial fee of £6 million for the midfielder, with add-ons meaning the transfer could be worth in excess of £10 million once Rangers’ sell-on clause is reached. Aribo’s contract has always included a £10 million release clause and it has been understood that Rangers were determined not to accept a total package below his release clause.
Aribo, who turned 25, is going to complete the move soon as he has already agreed terms with Southampton but is yet to sign a contract with the club. It is anticipated that the transfer will be made official this week if all goes to plan and the documentation is finalised, Aribo’s medical is planned for this week or over the weekend, the former Charlton Athletic player was scheduled to meet up with the rest of the Rangers squad in Portugal on Thursday but now he is currently in London. He had joined Rangers in 2019 where he signed a four-year contract with the Ibrox club. He was an ever-present last season under Steven Gerrard and Giovanni van Bronckhorst, making 57 appearances in all competitions, scoring nine goals and assisting a further 10.
He plays in the central or attacking midfield but Aribo was occasionally deployed as a striker by Van Bronckhorst amid the injury crisis his squad faced during the second half of the 2021-22 campaign. Southampton this summer have already made three summer signings, bringing in goalkeepers Gavin Bazunu, Mateusz Lis and defender Armel Bella-Kotchap. Southampton have announced the signing of Roméo Lavia from Manchester City. The fee for Lavia is an initial £12m and City have a buyback clause of £40m. Romeo Lavia the 18-year-old Lavia has played only twice for City when he started in the 6-1 Carabao Cup victory over Wycombe, and a brief FA Cup substitute’s appearance against Swindon, he is subsequently a Belgium youth international. The defensive midfielder has signed a five-year contract with Southampton.
Ralph Hasenhüttl, said: “We are very excited to sign him ahead of many other interested clubs.”
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