By Noel Whelan

6th Jul, 2022 | 10:20am

Joe Aribo deal to be completed 'quickly' after £6m Rangers update - pundit

Noel Whelan has urged Rangers to move “quickly” to sanction the exit of Joe Aribo as his contract situation leaves the club “vulnerable”.

The former Leeds and Aberdeen striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, claimed the Ibrox club should cash in on the 25-year-old “as soon as possible” in order to begin working on a replacement.

According to journalist Fabrizio Romano (6 July), Southampton are close to agreeing a fee of £6million plus add-ons for Rangers star Aribo.

The Athletic reporter Jordan Campbell updated later that day, claiming the deal for the midfielder is worth a total of £10million and will also include a “significant sell-on percentage”.

Aribo, who is out of contract in less than a year, played 57 games during the 2021-22 season – notching nine goals and 10 assists.

Whelan urged Rangers to start work on a replacement with their Champions League qualification campaign getting underway at the beginning of August.

“It’s really important that this deal is done quickly,” he told Football Insider‘s Ewan Kingsbury.

“£10million was the release clause, and that could go a long way for Rangers to help find a replacement.

“But it’s one of these situations where it is better to let the player go now for a good fee rather than potentially lose him next summer or even in January on a pre-contract for nothing.

“With a year left on his contract Rangers were always in a very vulnerable position and they’ve got to sell and find a replacement as soon as possible.

“They’ve got to put this money to good use.”

In other news, Rangers idol issues “huge” Celtic transfer verdict – “they have all the power”.