Rangers are confident that they can beat Celtic in the race for Charlton attacker Joe Aribo, according to the Daily Mail.
The report claims that Aribo is giving “serious consideration” to a Rangers move after being reassured over his game-time under Steven Gerrard in talks.
However, Southampton are still firmly in the hunt and are also said to have impressed Aribo.
Aribo, who is out of contract at the end of the month and available for a small compensation fee, is expected to decide his next destination this week.
OPINION
This would be a real coup for Rangers. Beating Celtic and Premier League side Southampton to the talented 22-year-old would show that Gerrard has put Rangers firmly on the map. There are reasons why Aribo is so sought after. He’s young, can score goals from midfield – he got 10 for Charlton last season – and comes with a tiny price tag. Southampton will have the advantage when it comes to wages but it sounds like Aribo wants to play regular football and that Rangers are willing to give him some guarantees over game-time. That’s something that Southampton will struggle to match straight away. The Mail report claims other English and German sides are interested in Aribo and with a decision expected this week, Rangers fans could get good news in a matter of days. Getting one over Celtic would be a source of great satisfaction for the Rangers hierarchy too, and would add even more weight to Gerrard’s CV as he looks to haul in the club’s bitter rivals.