Southampton’s proposed move for Rangers midfielder Joe Aribo in the January transfer market ‘makes a lot of sense,’ according to pundit Carlton Palmer.

The 25-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League in recent weeks after a string of impressive displays for the Glasgow giants.

What is the latest news involving Aribo?

According to the Daily Record, the Saints became the latest club from England’s top-flight to scout Aribo last month, joining the likes of Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Leicester City in the race for his signature.

That report followed on from All Nigeria Soccer’s claim that the versatile gem – who is valued at £9 million by Transfermarkt – has already informed Giovanni van Bronckhorst that he won’t be signing a new contract.

With just 18 months remaining on his current deal, this winter may be the last opportunity for Rangers to receive a sizeable sum for Aribo.

The Nigeria international has established himself as one of the most dominant forces in Scottish football since his arrival from Charlton Athletic in 2019, producing 43 goal contributions in 123 appearances.

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He featured 42 times last term as the Gers claimed their first Scottish Premiership title in 10 years and now appears set for a move down south either in January or next summer.

And Palmer believes a move for Aribo would be logical for Southampton, especially with their previous track record of signing players from the SPFL and their relatively limited budget.

What has Palmer said about Aribo?

The south coast club have had success plucking the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Victor Wanyama and Stuart Armstrong from Scotland in the past, and Palmer claims it’s a tactic that could work again.

He told GiveMeSport: “Well, it makes a lot of sense that they go to Scotland, the wages are generally lower, the fees are generally lower. They're not in the market for £30 or £40 million players, he'll come within their budget of £6 or £7m, and his salary will fit into their wage budget.

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“He’s down to his last 18 months of his contract, he's stalling on a new deal, and he's done well at Rangers. So, the only problem they've got is they’ll miss him for the African Cup of Nations.

“But he might only be missing for two or three games in the Premier League, and you're looking at his age, and what have you, he’s 25, then he's a player for the future.”

Would Aribo be a good signing for Southampton?

Aribo has been putting in some eye-catching performances this season, especially since the arrival of Van Bronckhorst following Steven Gerrard’s sudden exit.

As per WhoScored, the 6 foot dynamo has averaged 1.6 dribbles, 1.9 key passes and 1.7 tackles per league game throughout 2021/22, placing him in the top five for each metric amongst his teammates.

Ralph Hasenhuttl would be signing, therefore, an extremely dynamic and intelligent midfielder, capable of stopping opposition attacks before kickstarting ones of his own.

Read More - January Transfer Window 2022: When does it open, when does it close and which players are going to move?