Southampton boss Nathan Jones insists Joe Aribo is part of his plans at St Mary’s as he ruled out the prospect of a speedy return to Rangers when quizzed on the prospect of the Nigeria International going back to Scotland. The 26-year-old moved to the English Premier League side in a deal that could rise to £10 million but has struggled for game time since Ralph Hasenhuttl exited in November.
Aribo hasn’t featured since coming off late on in the 2-1 FA Cup win over Crystal Palace on January 7. Southampton have played four games since then, including the midweek Carabao Cup semi-final first leg defeat to Newcastle United, but the former Charlton Athletic playmaker hasn’t even come off the bench.
That has led to speculation over a possible return to Ibrox where he became a fans’ favourite with a huge part in the 2021 Scottish Premiership title success and he scored in the Europa League final against Eintracht Frankfurt.
