According to the latest reports from Daily Mail as cited by Daily Record, Rangers will step up their pursuit for Charlton Atheltic’s midfielder Joe Aribo. The report adds that Gerrard has opened talks with the player and the Gers have made their intentions known. Celtic are also interested in him along with clubs like Aston Villa, Southampton and Eintracht Frankfurt.
Aribo is going to be out of contract soon, and he is set to be available on a free transfer. That is one of the reasons why he is in such demand in this transfer window. The midfielder played a massive role for Charlton as they won the League One playoffs and won promotion back to the Championship by defeating Sunderland in the final.
The 22-year-old contributed with ten goals and five assists in 39 appearances, and he was a vital cog in Charlton’s build up play. Many have even dubbed him as the new Patrick Vieira due to his playing style and physical resemblance. Rangers will have a tough task in luring him to the Ibrox as quite a few clubs are interested in him.
What will Aribo bring to Ibrox?
The Englishman is a box to box midfielder, but he can even turn out as an attacking midfielder. His physical strength and ability to go on marauding runs makes him stand out. He also has that goal scoring threat to his game as well, which makes him a top option.
Aribo is quite similar to what Glen Kamara brings at Ibrox, but he is someone with even more potential than the former Arsenal man.
Do Rangers need a midfielder?
Midfield is one area where the Gers are well covered. They recently secured the signing of Steven Davis as well who shone in the last few games of the season. Scott Arfield, Glen Kamara, Ryan Jack and Ross McCrorie all look like a decent bet.
However, Aribo will be an upgrade over quite a few of them, and a partnership of Kamara and Aribo in midfield can cause havoc to the opposition defence as both of them hardly lose possession. Therefore Gerrard is definitely right in trying to step up his pursuit for the English midfielder.
Can Rangers sign him?
With Premier League clubs also in the mix, Rangers are likely to have only an outside chance of signing him. They are not desperately in need of a midfielder so it wouldn’t be too big a blow for them if they miss out on Aribo’s signing.
