‘I’m happy at Rangers, I have no intention to leave’ – Aribo

Super Eagles midfielder, Joe Aribo, says he has no intention to leave Rangers during this summer transfer window.

Aribo had another impressive season for the Light Blue in the just concluded 2021/22 season, coming at the back of winning the title two seasons ago.

The 25-year-old scored nine goals and registered 10 assists in 56 matches for the Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side.

The club was chasing a treble at a point in the last campaign, but lost the title to rivals Celtic, and the UEFA Europa League to Eintracht Frankfurt in the final. However, they won the Scottish Cup at the expense of Hearts, with the former Charlton Athletic player playing a prominent role for the club in all the competitions.

The Nigerian star has been linked with a move to some Premier League clubs, including Aston Villa, where his former manager Steven Gerrard is currently in charge.

But in an interview with Brila Fm, Aribo said he is focused on continuing his stay at the club next season, adding that he is happy in Scotland.

“I don’t know. I never knew about anything to be honest, I just focused on football. I’m happy at Rangers, I’ve been happy since I got here and I’ve loved every single minute of it. So I’ve just been focused on here and I just want to stay focused because at the end of the day, I’m a Rangers player and I’m not thinking about leaving because I’m really happy here”, he said.

Aribo featured as a false nine for Rangers in some matches this past season, including in the UEFA Europa League final against the German club and scored a goal.

However, he stressed that he prefers to play in his comfortable position in the midfield, stating that he does not like to be barged into by defenders.
He explained that he would prefer to maintain his position in the midfield, including in the national team.

“I wouldn’t say as a striker. No! I’d rather be an attacking midfielder. Strikers are on different level. It’s like playing with your back to goal, defenders barging into you. That’s not for me, I enjoyed the experience but that’s what I want to stay playing as,” he said.

When asked if van Bronckhorst insists he continues in the false 9 role, following his impressive performance for the team last season, he stated that he would do whatever he has to do for his team.

“I am a team player, I’ll do what I have to do for the team, but in terms of playing in my strongest position, I wouldn’t say striker. I would say striker,” the midfielder stated.