49ers could sign "terrific" star who'd be Rangers' next Aribo at Ibrox
da cassino： This summer, Glasgow Rangers will be looking for a very particular type of player to help strengthen the first-team squad at Ibrox.
da brdice： The new manager might have some money to spend thanks to the 49ers Entreprises investment, but he should be wary of shelling out inflated transfer fees for those players on the continent.
Indeed, Michael Beale wasted nearly £13m on Sam Lammers, Danilo and Cyriel Dessers in the summer of 2023. Before him, Giovanni van Bronckhorst splashed money on the likes of Rabbi Matondo and Antonio Colak.
Looking a bit closer to home might be the best strategy for the Light Blues, especially with regard to hopefully generating a future profit.
Therefore, taking a look at players from England who are out of contract this summer might be a healthy approach to take.
In 2023, Dujon Sterling moved to Ibrox on a free transfer and has been a solid addition to the squad. Going back further, Steven Gerrard signed young defender Calvin Bassey, paying a compensation fee of just £230k in 2020.
He went on to make 65 appearances for the Gers across his two-year spell, but when Ajax came calling with an offer worth just under £23m, it meant Rangers secured a lavish profit on the youngster.
Perhaps the finest signing from England in recent years is that of Joe Aribo. The Nigeria international moved to Glasgow in 2019 and enjoyed an excellent three-year stint north of the border.
Joe Aribo's time at Rangers
Following a trophyless 2018/19 season, Gerrard sought improvement during the summer transfer window in a bid to challenge Celtic.
There was plenty of movement, as Ryan Kent, Filip Helander and Ianis Hagi all completed permanent moves to the club.
One of the most shrewd pieces of business was signing Aribo from the English side, Charlton Athletic. Rangers only paid £300k for the midfielder due to cross-border compensation rules, and Gerrard heaped praise on him, saying: “He’s mobile, dynamic, can burst past a player and create and score goals. There is room for him to develop but he’ll give us something we’ve not got in the midfield department.”
The club may have ended the 2019/20 season without a trophy once again, but progress had been made and Aribo demonstrated his class. Across 49 matches, he registered 17 goal contributions, setting him up nicely for the following campaign.
While his goal involvement output dropped from 17 to 15 during 2020/21, Aribo was clearly a more all-round player as the Ibrox side won their first title in a decade.
Joe Aribo’s Rangers statistics
Season
Games
Goals
Assists
2021/22
57
9
10
2020/21
43
8
7
2019/20
49
9
8
Via Transfermarkt
He created seven big chances in 31 games, while averaging 1.2 key passes and succeeding with 1.9 dribbles – a success rate of 59% – per game in the top flight.
These dynamic performances bolstered Aribo’s reputation as someone who might attract a big transfer fee in the near future.
The club didn’t have long to wait. The midfielder helped the Light Blues win the Scottish Cup in 2022, while he also became just the fourth player to score for Rangers in a major European final following his opener in the Europa League showpiece.
That summer, Southampton secured his signature in a deal worth up to £10m, representing an excellent piece of business by the Glasgow side.
With the transfer window close to opening for the summer, could the club make a similar sort of signing? One Championship player has been linked with a move north.
Rangers eye move for Aribo 2.0
The 49ers first port of call is to announce a new permanent manager as soon as possible, but that hasn’t stopped the club from being linked with various players.
One name that stands out is Blackburn Rovers winger Tyrhys Dolan, who is set to leave the club once his contract expires.
Reports earlier this month claimed that Rangers are monitoring the Englishman ahead of the transfer window, and he could move to Scotland on the cheap due to cross-border regulations. Similar to the moves for Bassey and Aribo.
If a move does go through, Dolan could be Rangers’ next Aribo, no doubt about that.
Why Rangers must sign Tyrhys Dolan this summer
Having seen Vaclav Cerny return to his parent club after the end of the season, the only registered senior winger in the first-team squad is Ross McCausland.
Given that the Northern Irishman registered just four goal contributions all season, this area is a problematic one.
Therefore, signing Dolan for a minimal fee makes perfect sense. He is just 23, meaning the winger has yet to hit his peak and, similar to Aribo, he has enjoyed a solid start to his career in England.
Across 47 games for Blackburn, the youngster scored seven goals and chipped in with six assists, missing out on the playoffs by just two points.
When compared to his positional peers in the Championship, Dolan ranks in the top 11% for shots on target percentage (44%) and goal-creating actions (0.48) per 90, along with ranking in the top 17% for carries into the final third (2.04) and take-ons attempted (4.31) per 90.
A solid set of statistics show that Dolan is keen to take on his man whenever possible, while he also demonstrates a keen eye for goal.
He was praised following a performance during the 2023/24 season, with journalist Elliott Jackson saying: “I thought Tyrhys Dolan was absolutely terrific today. Not just for the goals but the way he worked off the ball.”
During his time at Rangers, Aribo could always make something happen when he was on the ball, creating individual moments of joy. He didn’t shy away from the defensive side of the game, however and is work rate was excellent.
Dolan operates in a similar manner and could be a fine signing indeed should the new manager wish to bring him to Ibrox.
Considering the compensation fee would be small, the English winger could become a shrewd signing indeed. Who knows, he might just generate millions in profit after a couple of successful seasons in Scotland.
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