Southampton close to signing Rangers’ Joe Aribo after Roméo Lavia deal agreed

Southampton are close to a deal to sign Joe Aribo from Rangers for £6m plus add-ons as they prepare to announce Roméo Lavia as a £12m buy from Manchester City.

Aribo, a Nigeria international, has been with Rangers since 2019 and previously played in League One for Charlton. The 25-year-old appeared in all 15 of Rangers’ games in the Europa League last season, starting 13, and scored in the final against Eintracht Frankfurt.

He began that match as a centre-forward and is capable of playing in variety of positions in midfield and attack.

The 18-year-old Lavia has played twice for City – getting a Carabao Cup start and a brief FA Cup substitute’s appearance – and is a Belgium youth international. The defensive midfielder completed his medical on Tuesday and City have a buyback clause of about £40m.

The moves come as Joe Shields prepares to join Southampton after nine years at City, where his most recent role was head of academy recruitment. Southampton have signed the goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu from City for £12m as well as another goalkeeper, Mateusz Lis, and the defender Armel Bella-Kotchap from Bochum.