Glasgow Rangers legend, Brian Laudrup, hopes Joe Aribo’s performances for Nigeria doesn’t attract increased transfer interest.
The 25-year-old has been outstanding in the African Cup of Nations and he’s been roundly praised for his performances.
Aribo has 18 months left on his Rangers contract and various English clubs are monitoring his development. Gers legend Laudrup believes Aribo can play at the highest level and he will be difficult to replace.
“What is going to be interesting to see over the coming weeks is how Rangers adapt to life without Joe Aribo while he is representing Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations,” Laudrup told the Daily Mail.
“From the day Aribo joined Rangers, I thought here was a player with a huge future ahead of him.
“He’s since developed into a fantastic player. He’s got great skill, physically he’s strong and he’s quick as well. He’s got the whole package. He’s a natural talent and wonderful to watch.
“The way he plays, he could play in many different leagues in Europe. For Rangers’ sake, I do hope he is not too good at the AFCON because the management team would not like to lose a player of his stature.
“But he’s going to draw a lot of attention, that’s for sure. It will be a huge task to replace Aribo in the Rangers team but it’s a chance for players to step forward.”
Van Bronckhorst faces an interesting selection dilemma over who to pick in Aribo’s absence. Laudrup has been impressed with the Dutchman’s impact since replacing Steven Gerrard and he believes Rangers are now a stronger unit.
He added: “People might think Ryan Kent could play in the No 10 role but I think he’s better on the wing. I think Ianis Hagi would be the best solution, or perhaps Juninho Bacuna.
“While the second half of the season is going to be fascinating, so far it’s been a different campaign to the one some people expected.
