Southampton have signed midfielder Joe Aribo from Rangers for a fee of £6million which could rise to £10m after add-ons.
Aribo’s departure from Ibrox was long-expected, with several Premier League sides, including and , linked to the 25-year-old.
But ultimately the Saints won the race for the Nigerian international, who has moved to St. Mary’s on a four-year contract.
Aribo first emerged at Charlton Athletic, before moving north of the border in 2019 where he scored 26 goals and made 25 assists, helping Rangers to the Scottish Premiership title in 2021 and the Scottish Cup last season.
He also was a key player in the Gers run to the 2022 Europa League Final, where he scored the opening goal of the game, only for Eintracht Frankfurt to equalise and subsequently win on penalties.
Upon his announcement at Southampton, Aribo said: ‘It’s an amazing club with a lot of history here.
‘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.’
Aribo has become the South Coast side’s fifth signing of the summer following Mateusz Lis, Armel Bella-Kotchap, Romeo Lavia and Gavin Bazunu, as the club look to bounce back from a disappointing campaign where they finished 15th in the Premier League.
‘We believe Joe can bring energy and creativity to our side,’ Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl added.
‘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.’
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