Charlton boss claims Rangers move could end Joe Aribo’s career

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Joe Aribo is reportedly set to sign for Glasgow Rangers after Lee Bowyer failed to convince him to stay at Charlton Athletic.

Joe Aribo is set to complete a move to Rangers in the very near future but his former Charlton Athletic boss clearly doesn’t agree with the midfielder’s next destination, telling London News Online that the Addicks star is making a big mistake.

Rangers have fought off competition from a wide range of clubs, including Premier League outfits Southampton, Aston Villa and Arsenal, to secure the signature of one of the most highly-rated youngsters in the Football League.

22-year-old Aribo scored ten goals as Charlton sealed a return to the Championship last season and he is now set to move to Ibrox on a four-year deal.

Such a move will see Aribo hone his trade under the legendary midfielder Steven Gerrard with Rangers looking to wrestle back the Scottish Premiership title from Celtic after eight years of green-and-white domination.

But Bowyer still thinks that the Charlton academy graduate would have been better off staying in England instead.

“It’s a shame if he gets pushed to somewhere where it is not going to benefit him in his football career. If he goes to Rangers that is not the right place for him to go for his football career,” Bowyer said.

“You have got Rangers and Celtic who are massive clubs, I get that. And I get that Steven Gerrard was a great player, so that’s an attraction. Those two things are the attraction – but not everything else.

“It doesn’t make sense on the football side. When people from England go and play for Celtic and Rangers it is at the end of their careers. That’s because it is very rare you get a move from Rangers to the Premier League, and I don’t mean any disrespect by that.

“They might go from Rangers to the Championship, very rarely is it to the Premier League. For me he should stay in England and keep progressing. The move should benefit Joe.”

Rangers fans will undoubtedly take issue with Bowyer’s comments, particularly as a number of bright young talents like Aribo have made real strides at Ibrox over the last few year or two to massively enhance their own reputations; think Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent.