Rangers could very well be set to be on the lookout for a replacement for Joe Aribo in the near future following recent reports.
Aribo first joined Rangers back in 2019, and since then, has gone on to be a pretty integral part of the side at Ibrox, racking up 126 appearances for the club, scoring 23 goals and chipping in with 21 assists along the way. However, it appears as though his days at the club could be numbered.
According to a report in The Sun, English Premier League side Crystal Palace are looking at bringing in the 25-year-old this summer, as the club expects current Chelsea loanee Conor Gallagher to return to his parent club and they will need someone to fill the hole that he’ll leave behind.
The report claims: “Rangers would want about £10million for ex-Charlton man Aribo and Palace have the funds available.”
But what could the future hold for Rangers if Aribo was to move on?
Out of the wilderness
If Aribo does move, then this could provide the perfect opportunity for young Stephen Kelly to come in and make his mark on the side.
Having been something of an outcast at Rangers in recent years – only making three appearances – Kelly has been getting more minutes out on loan at current side Salford City in the English fourth tier, where a good spell might be able to convince Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst to give him another go in the side in place of Aribo.
With Kelly’s contract expiring this summer, it will be interesting to see if he gets that chance to begin with. Although, you’d imagine that if they didn’t feel he had a future, they’d have sold him rather than loaned him out in January. So he may still have a chance, and perhaps the sale of Aribo could convince Rangers to let him make that step up.
With some money left in the bank
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If the fee does come in at £10m, as The Sun’s report seems to hint, then it could very well come as a welcome boost to Van Bronckhorst.
The Dutchman is still settling into life at Ibrox, and already made some moves in the transfer market in January, but it will be the summer window where he’ll really be able to make an impact. And if you take a look at how much clubs in Scotland tend to spend, that fee of £10m could arguably bring in a number of replacements to take Aribo’s place.
Much like Ange Postecoglou was able to reload his side at Celtic with the moves he made last summer, if Van Bronckhorst can do the same, then it could set up for a very intriguing title race next season should Aribo leave for an eight-figure sum.
In other news: Board miss out on millions, Van Bronckhorst angry: Rangers will be kicking themselves – opinion