OPINION
Celtic must swiftly act if they want any chance of signing Charlton midfielder Joe Aribo as Southampton are reportedly ready to make a move.
According to the Daily Express the Saints are ready to pull the trigger on a move for the 22-year-old with the midfielder making it clear he won’t be penning a new deal at Charlton despite his current contract expiring in the summer.
The national newspaper list several teams interested in Aribo including Celtic, Rangers, Arsenal as well as Manchester City; but the Saints seem to be the only club close to making a move based on this report.
Celtic were previously linked to the soon to be out of contract midfielder by Goal and it’s time they prepared to launch an offer for the midfielder as you feel the Saints could gain an advantage in the race due to moving the quickest.
The Premier League side would be an appealing prospect for the Charlton midfielder, but given that the 22-year-old would have a greater chance of winning silverware at Celtic based on recent history, the Scottish giants could acquire his signature ahead of everyone else.
Aribo would be a fantastic addition to the Hoops squad and given that he’d be a free transfer; they’d struggle to find anyone equally as good for such a low price.
The 22-year-old, who can play as a central or attacking midfielder, has been in red-hot form this season as he has scored 10 goals as well as registered five assists in 37 outings.
Aribo is strong on the ball and not easily dispossessed and given his eye for goal, it’s easy to see how he could excel at Celtic.
Also given his young age, he’d be a player who could wow at the club for ages and help the Hoops continue to rack up trophies.
So with that in mind Celtic must act swiftly in order not to miss out on Aribo especially with the Saints reportedly being set to move shortly.