Why Southampton paid over £6m to make Joe Aribo a Saint

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhüttl has explained the thinking behind the signing of Super Eagles player Joe Aribo.

Aribo has joined the Premier League club on a four-year contract from Rangers worth an initial £6m.

Ad per transfer guru, Fabrizio Romano, the deal to bring the Nigerian international front Scotland is expected to cost Southampton an extra £4m in performance-related clauses. 

The 25-year-old completed the move and was unveiled, as reported by your favourite Pulse Sports Nigeria, on Saturday evening.

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But why exactly have the Saints gone out of their way to lure the Nigerian away from Ibrox?

Speaking during the unveiling ceremony, the German coach provided more insights behind the club's decision to sign Aribo.

According to him, the Saints couldn't ignore the impressive energy, creativity and of course, quality versatility of the Super Eagles star.

"Joe is a player with many qualities to his game, and we are very excited to welcome him to the squad in time for the pre-season trip to Austria," he told the club website.

"We believe Joe can bring energy and creativity to our side. Feeling comfortable in so many different positions is very helpful for a manager and shows he has a high level of football intelligence, with the ability to take on new information quickly."

"His performances in the Europa League prove he has the quality to play in the Premier League," he added.

"This is a big ambition for him, and he is hungry to show everybody he can do it.”

He was born in London but has represented Nigeria on the international scene, earning 20 caps to his name.

He has two goals for the Super Eagles, both arrived on his first two appearances for Nigeria against Ukraine and the Samba Boys of Brazil in 2019.

Aribo joined Rangers in 2019 from Championship club, Charlton Athletic and went on to score 26 goals in 149 appearances for the Gers.

Aribo also helped the Glasgow giants to their first Scottish Premiership title in 10 years, the Scottish Cup, and was a runner-up in last season’s UEFA Europa League, where he scored in the final.