By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Southampton midfielder Joe Aribo could be on his way out of the club this summer, as the Saints prepare for a major squad overhaul following their relegation from the Premier League.
The Super Eagles star is among several first-team players linked with potential exits.
Aribo, who joined Southampton from Rangers in 2022, is reportedly attracting renewed interest from his former club, as well as from sides in Turkey.
While the 27-year-old has not publicly expressed a desire to leave, Southampton are believed to be open to letting him go.
With just one year remaining on his contract, the Championship club is under growing pressure to cash in on Aribo to generate funds and reduce the wage bill.
According to Saints Extra, Southampton are actively looking for suitors and are even willing to accept a cut-price fee—despite Aribo’s current €6 million valuation—to facilitate a quick sale.
Rangers are said to be leading the race for his signature, and the presence of manager Russell Martin—who has been influential in reshaping Southampton’s squad—could smooth the path for a return to Ibrox.
As the transfer window heats up, Aribo’s future remains uncertain, but a move appears increasingly likely as Southampton reshuffle their squad for life in the Championship.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
