Rangers seal Joe Aribo deal as Steven Gerrard reveals why he wanted to beat Celtic to star (Image: GETTY)
Rangers announced on Thursday that they had beaten Celtic to the signing of Joe Aribo.
The 22-year-old has signed a four-year deal with the Glasgow giants in a massive boost to Steven Gerrard’s Premiership title hopes.
The attacking midfielder made 39 appearances for Charlton last season scoring 10 goals as they sealed a return to the Championship via the League One play-off final at Wembley.
Gerrard revealed his delight at securing a deal with the player, and outlined the reasons why Aribo was his main transfer target, having also been trailed by Celtic.
Rangers seal Joe Aribo deal as Steven Gerrard reveals why he wanted to beat Celtic to star (Image: GETTY)
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“We have a good midfield but currently we don’t have a player with Joe’s characteristics.
Rangers boss Steven Gerrard
News emerged earlier this month that Aribo was curios about life as a Rangers player when their interest became public.
Celtic boss Neil Lennon was also interested in the player, who was approaching the end of his contract with Charlton.
Gerrard continued: “He’s left footed, which is something we don’t have in our midfield at the moment so he’ll give us more balance.
“We have a good midfield but currently we don’t have a player with Joe’s characteristics.
Rangers seal Joe Aribo deal as Steven Gerrard reveals why he wanted to beat Celtic to star (Image: GETTY)
Rangers seal Joe Aribo deal as Steven Gerrard reveals why he wanted to beat Celtic to star (Image: GETTY)
“He is tall, athletic and quick. He’s a box-to-box player and is not afraid to open the door when he gets around the box and he can unlock defences.
“We’re confident we can turn Joe into an even better player and I’m really looking forward to working with him.
“He’s still young and we firmly believe there is a lot to come from him, but we need to be patient in order to allow him to continue his development and to improve as a player with the club.”
Rangers have a busy set of pre-season fixtures to introduce Aribo into their side before they begin their Premiership campaign with a trip to Kilmarnock on August 8.