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Second club expected to make late move for Joe Aribo

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There is an expectation that Crystal Palace will make a late attempt to agree terms with Rangers to sign Joe Aribo. 

This comes as Southampton have put themselves in pole position to land the Nigeria international with a deal agreed, as the Ibrox transfer window truly gets underway.

Coming the other way is Antonio Colak from PAOK to provide Giovanni van Bronckhorst with a third senior striking option.

In terms of the big story just now, that is all about the future of Joe Aribo.

He will be leaving Ibrox in the coming days and any other clubs, like Palace, will need to act fast if they are to change the proposed deal that is in place with Ralph Hassenhuttl’s side.

Last night, The Fourth Official communicated that a bid from Selhurst Park was expected:

“Southampton are in advanced talks to sign Rangers midfielder Joe Aribo.”

“A deal is close to being agreed and the fee is believed to be worth £10m including add-ons.”

“It is understood the 25-year-old, who has a £10m release clause in his contract, is open to the move to St Mary’s.”

Move south pending

Joe Aribo’s attacking threat will need to be replaced. There won’t be a direct replacement, especially as his versatility and unique skill set is rare, but in terms of a goalscoring midfielder, that is an imperative.

Whether the manager wants another ‘number 10’ type or more of a ‘box to box’ player, that remains to be seen. Alex Lowry will have a part to play in the new term but he can’t be a first pick, not just yet. Ianis Hagi is another with plenty to offer but we may not see him until after the World Cup enforced break. Questions also remain on the future of Glen Kamara, but given that he ended the season in a more advanced position, it strengthens the argument for an advanced midfielder to be the priority.

That will be the real intrigue with only four weeks to go until those pivotal Champions League qualifiers.

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  • Tam forsyth says:

    £6 plus add ins to take it to £10 is a joke
    £10 plus add ins at least

    • graemehanna says:

      It’s a disappointing return on the basis of Aribo’s ability Tam, but his contract status was pivotal to negotiations. Despite the £10m clause, Southampton and others were always going to use the expiring contract to drive down the fee. The agreement has been a compromise.

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