Glasgow Rangers look like they may finally be able to salvage something out of this season following the appointment of Philippe Clement a few weeks ago.
Under Michael Beale, the Gers were heading for mediocrity, winning just eight of the 14 matches he took charge of while bowing out against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League qualifiers.
Following the 3-1 defeat to Aberdeen at Ibrox, he was sacked and Clement was appointed as his successor and the club haven’t looked back since.
His failings in the summer transfer market didn’t help his cause either, spending lavish sums of money on players such as Sam Lammers, Cyriel Dessers, and Jose Cifuentes, and they all have yet to hit the ground running.
The Light Blues haven’t enjoyed the best of relationships with the transfer window over the course of the previous few years, leading Beale, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Steven Gerrard to sign a succession of players who failed to take the club to the next level.
There has been the odd gem littered among the dross, but ultimately, the failings in the transfer market meant the Light Blues didn’t build on their Premiership title win in 2021.
Van Bronckhorst was able to move on a few players for massive profits during his 12-month tenure in Glasgow, as Nathan Patterson and Calvin Bassey were both sold within six months of each other.
Their values should continue to increase the more experience they gain out with Scotland, but one player who left Rangers last year has seen his value decrease due to several poor performances – Joe Aribo.
Joe Aribo’s market value at Rangers
Following a relatively stable first season in charge, Gerrard aimed to bolster his squad ahead of the 2019/20 campaign in order to give Celtic a proper title challenge.
There were several new faces arriving at Ibrox that summer, with a fresh-faced Aribo being one of them. He had played nearly 100 matches for Charlton over the previous three years, and he played a part in the club securing a return to the Championship by defeating Sunderland in the League One playoff final.
He cost the Gers just £300k due to cross-border transfer rules and Gerrard was quick to praise him, saying: “He is tall, athletic and quick. He’s a box-to-box player and is not afraid to open the door when he gets around the box and he can unlock defences.”
His transfer value upon joining Rangers was just €1.1m (£950k) according to Football Transfers, but it ended up reaching a high point of €5.1m (£4.4m) during his final season at the club and this was down to some wonderful displays.
Across three productive seasons at Ibrox, Aribo played 149 times while scoring 26 goals and registering 25 assists.
He won the Premiership and Scottish Cup during his time north of the border along with becoming just the fourth-ever player to score in a major European final for the club, yet it wasn’t good enough to see Rangers win the Europa League trophy in 2022.
These performances naturally attracted attention from other clubs and last summer, Van Bronckhorst sold the Nigeria international to Southampton for a fee which could reach up to £10m.
2021/22
57
9
10
2020/21
43
8
7
2019/20
49
9
8
Stats via Transfermarkt
It was clear the Premier League was his next port of call and that Rangers was just a stepping stone in his career as he signed a four-year contract at the south coast side and move down to England for the next chapter.
The move hasn’t gone as well as first anticipated however and this has seen Aribo’s value drop dramatically over the previous 18 months.
Joe Aribo’s stats at Southampton
The Saints had established themselves as a mainstay in the Premier League since returning to the top flight in the 2012/13 campaign, yet they had flirted with relegation during the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons.
Aribo’s arrival looked like it could be a good one, especially with his goal-scoring form for Rangers and his obvious attacking talents, yet he couldn’t quite find his feet down south.
The midfielder started just 13 league matches throughout the whole season, scoring twice, and he wasn’t the first choice as the club recorded just six league wins and were relegated to the Championship.
Aribo ranked in a lowly tenth position across the squad for goals and assists (two), while also ranking eighth for shots on target per game (0.4) and 15th for key passes per game (0.4) which clearly suggests he failed to live up to his big transfer fee.
Compare these stats to his final year at Rangers, and it appears as though the English top flight proved to be much harder to acclimatise to.
The 27-year-old ranked third across the Gers squad during his final season for goals and assists (13) along with ranking 13th for shots on target per game (0.5) and fifth for key passes made per game (1.5), highlighting the gap between Scotland and England.
Aribo has failed to score across 12 matches so far this term and his struggles are continuing, and his market value reflects this.
Joe Aribo’s market value at Southampton
According to Football Transfers, the midfielder is now currently valued at €4.5m (£3.9m) which represents a £6.1m drop in just over a year, indicating that Rangers struck gold by selling him for such a big fee.
While it hasn’t worked out for Aribo on the south coast, there is no doubt many of the Ibrox faithful would take him back in a heartbeat, especially with the lack of goals coming from the midfield.
The former Charlton gem was a crowd favourite during his time in Scotland and his goal against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League final gave the Gers a genuine hope they could secure just their second-ever major European trophy.
It wasn’t to be, and he left the Light Blues on good terms. It’s a pity it has not worked out at Southampton for the player as when he is in the mood, opposition defences are often run ragged by his movement and superior creative talents.
If he can find his form soon, this valuation could certainly rise, there is no doubt about it.