Joe Aribo, the midfielder who helped Rangers win the Scottish Premiership, is available on a free transfer after Southampton decided not to renew his contract. Rangers are reportedly considering bringing back a player who was a fan favorite during his three-year stint at Ibrox.

Aribo will officially become a free agent on June 30, 2026, when his four-year deal at Southampton expires. No transfer fee would be involved, which makes this the kind of low-risk, high-nostalgia move that clubs love to explore.

A Premier League spell that never clicked

He managed 9 goals across 95 appearances in all competitions for Southampton. After joining Southampton from Rangers in July 2022, Aribo struggled to earn consistent minutes in a squad that was itself struggling with Premier League survival.

For the second half of the 2025-26 season, Southampton loaned Aribo out to Leicester City. That loan produced six appearances and zero goals.

At 29, Aribo sits in that awkward career zone. The fact that his release hasn’t generated significant attention from other clubs tells you where the market stands on him right now.

The Rangers years: a different player entirely

Aribo made 92 appearances for Rangers and was a key part of the squad that delivered the club’s first Scottish Premiership title in a decade, stopping Celtic’s march toward ten consecutive league crowns. He also contributed to a Scottish Cup victory during his time at Ibrox.

The move to Southampton in 2022 was supposed to be the next step. Rangers received a reported fee of approximately £6 million, with potential add-ons bringing the total closer to £10 million.

What a return to Ibrox would mean

For Rangers, the calculus here is straightforward. They’d be getting a player who knows the club, knows the league, and knows the expectations at Ibrox, all without spending a penny on a transfer fee.

Aribo left Rangers as a 25-year-old with momentum and ambition. He’d be returning as a 29-year-old coming off two underwhelming seasons in England.