Lange now eyeing Aston Villa swoop for “special” £9m-rated gem, Gerrard loves him - opinion

Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard is believed to be eyeing a deal for Rangers midfielder Joe Aribo, although could face stern competition from another Premier League side…

As per The Scottish Sun, the Midlands outfit are named as one of the clubs that are potentially interested in a move for the 25-year-old, albeit with newly-promoted outfit Nottingham Forest said to be the frontrunners in the race for his signature.

Steve Cooper and co have already wrapped up the signing of Aribo’s Nigeria teammate Taiwo Awoniyi on a club-record £17.5m deal, although could now turn their attention to the Gers man, with the player having impressed since his £300k move to Ibrox in 2019.

The report suggests that the player is unlikely to sign a new deal, with just 12 months remaining on his current contract, hence opening up the possibility of a departure from the Old Firm giants.

Despite that reported competition from Forest, Villa will no doubt be hoping that the player’s previous connection with Gerrard could prove key in getting a deal over the line, with £9m-rated gem having flourished under the Englishman in Glasgow.

The 42-year-old had been the man to bring the 6-foot machine to Scotland three years ago from Charlton Athletic, with the midfielder eventually going on to prove an integral part of the side that ended rivals Celtic’s nine-year title dominance in 2021.

During the Liverpool legend’s time in charge – prior to his return to the Premier League in November – Aribo netted 20 goals and provided 18 assists in 112 games in all competitions for his current side, having been dubbed a “joy to watch” by the former Three Lions skipper.

In his absence, the £14k-per-week machine has continued to impress under Giovanni van Bronckhorst,