Giovanni van Bronckhorst has admitted Joe Aribo is on his way out of Rangers for the English Premier League “in the near future.”
The Nigerian international won’t be signing a new deal at Ibrox with his current contract set to expire next summer, and the Ibrox club have decided to allow the player to leave the club this summer with a move to Southampton edging closer.
The English Premier League outfit are expected to pay £6m up front for Aribo, which could rise to more than £10m with add-ons included with the playmaker expected to undergo his medical and could officially seal his move to the south coast club in the days ahead. Van Bronckhorst has spoken on the potential exit for the first time, admitting the club will not stand in the way of the player, who is keen on the move to the English top flight.
The Rangers boss, speaking from the club’s pre-season training camp in Portugal, told Sky Sports News: “Joe is a very, very important player for us. He has been really good for this club for the last few years.
“At the moment he has the ambition to play in the Premier League. That is his ambition and that is probably what is going to happen in the near future.
“It’s what you want as a club, to get talented players into the club, develop them, and eventually the player has their own ambitions and I think what he has done for this club is fantastic.”
Meanwhile, Rangers legend ALLY McCoist is adamant that Southampton will be getting an ‘absolutely fabulous’ player as Joe Aribo closes in on a switch to the Premier League outfit.
McCoist will be sad to see Aribo go but the Rangers legend thanked the midfielder for his efforts as he queried the ‘strange’ fee.
Asked on talkSPORT if he was disappointed by Aribo’s imminent departure, McCoist replied: “Yes but not shocked. Joe Aribo goes with our thanks and our blessing.
“We bought him from Charlton a few years back and he’s been absolutely fabulous.
“He’s grown and now has 20-odd caps for Nigeria, playing top-class football and if he goes to Southampton they will be getting a very, very good player.
“I just think it’s a strange one it’s £6m and he’s got a £10m clause in his contract.
“The bottom line is if he does go we wish him all the best because he gave us that moment when we thought for more than a minute [that Rangers would win the Europa League final].”