Southampton confirm Joe Aribo signing from Rangers

Southampton have completed the signing of Joe Aribo from Scottish giants Rangers on a four-year contract.

The 25-year-old is understood to have moved to St Mary's for an initial £6m plus add-ons, with the deal potentially rising to around £10m.

Aribo becomes Ralph Hasenhuttl's fifth signing of the summer window after Romeo Lavia, Gavin Bazunu, Mateusz Lis and Armel Bella-Kotchap.

Speaking to Southampton's official website on his arrival at the club, Aribo said: "It's an amazing club with a lot of history here, and it's a good plan with what's to come next. I'm really excited for the journey.

"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.

Aribo announced ✍️#SaintsFC is delighted to confirm the signing of @J_Aribo19 on a four-year contract from #RangersFC:

— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) July 9, 2022

"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."

Hasenhuttl added: "Joe is a player with many qualities to his game, and we are very excited to welcome him to the squad in time for the pre-season trip to Austria.

"We believe Joe can bring energy and creativity to our side. 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."

Aribo, a versatile attack-minded midfielder, leaves Rangers after three years at Ibrox where he recorded 26 goals and 25 assists in 148 appearances across all competitions, including a strike in last season's Europa League final defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt.

The 20-cap Nigeria international, who began his career with Staines Town before spending four years with Charlton Athletic, could make his competitive debut for Southampton away against Tottenham Hotspur in their opening 2022-23 Premier League game on August 6.