Southampton sign Rangers midfielder Joe Aribo

Southampton have completed the signing of Rangers midfielder Joe Aribo.

The 25-year-old has signed a four-year deal with Saints, with the South Coast club spending a reported £6m, rising to £10m with add-ons, for Aribo’s services.

Nigeria international Aribo spent three seasons at Rangers, helping the Glasgow club to the Scottish Premiership in 2021 and helped them reach the Europa League final in the last campaign. The versatile midfielder scored in that final, which saw Rangers fall 2-1 to Eintracht Frankfurt.

“It’s an amazing club with a lot of history here,” Aribo said of his move to Southampton in the official press release. “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.”

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl is similarly pleased, stating that he believes Aribo could add quality to his attacking options.

“We believe Joe can bring energy and creativity to our side,” said Hasenhuttl. “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.”

This is Southampton’s fifth signing of the summer transfer window, following the arrivals of Romeo Lavia, Armel Bella-Kotchap, Gavin Bazunu and Mateusz Lis.