Giovanni van Bronckhorst has admitted Joe Aribo is on his way out of Rangers for the English Premier league "in the near future."
The Nigerian international won't be signing a new deal at Ibrox with his current contract set to expire next summer, and the Ibrox club have decided to allow the player to leave the club this summer with an move to Southampton edging closer.
The English Premier League outfit are expected to pay £6million up front for Aribo, which could rise to more than £10million with add-ons included with the playmaker expected to undergo his medical and could officially seal his move to the south coast club in the days ahead. Van Bronckhorst has spoke on the potential exit for the first time, admitting the club will not stand in the way of the player, who is keen on the move to the English top flight.
The Rangers boss, speaking from the club's pre-season training camp in Portugal, told Sky Sports News: "Joe is a very, very important player for us. He has been really good for this club for the last few years.
"At the moment he has the ambition to play in the Premier League. That is his ambition and that is probably what is going to happen in the near future.
"It’s what you want as a club, to get talented players into the club, develop them and eventually the player has their own ambitions and I think what he has done for this club is fantastic."
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