According to a UK publication, Football Insider, Italian outfits, Hellas Verona have registered their interest in signing Nigeria international and Southampton midfielder Joe Aribo.
The website added that the Serie A club are exploring a loan move with an option to buy the Nigerian midfielder next summer.
Aribo only joined Southampton in the summer of 2022 after they triggered the £10m release clause in his Rangers contract.
He appeared in 18 consecutive games at the start of the Premier League season, but struggled for minutes in 2023 under caretaker manager Ruben Selles.
The 27-year-old struggled for minutes in the second half of the 2022/23 season with the Saints as they got relegated to the Championship.
Things doesn’t look better for the Nigerian this season as Aribo, who appears to have fallen down the pecking order at St Mary’s Stadium, started on the bench for Southampton in their game at Plymouth on Saturday.
Despite the recent sale of James Ward-Prowse, Aribo was only handed a spot on the bench this weekend with the trio of Adam Armstrong, Shea Charles and Stuart Armstrong all picked ahead of him.
So far this campaign, Manager Russell Martin has only fielded Aribo for eight minutes in the Championship.
Prior to his Southampton move, Aribo was playing regularly at Rangers and was a key part of the Scottish side’s midfield.
He scored nine and assisted 10 times in the 2021/22 season before completing a move to Southampton that summer.
While at the Glasgow club, Aribo was a part of Rangers’ 2020/21 title-winning side under Steven Gerrard as well as lifting the Scottish Cup.
Credit: punchng.com
