Aribo targets European football with Southampton

Summer signing Joe Aribo is confident Southampton will push for European football next season.

Aribo who arrived at Saint Mary’s from Rangers in the current transfer window spoke to TalkSports from the Saints’ training camp in Austria on Wednesday.

“We want to push and we want to fight. We want to get ourselves into the top half of the table and push for Europe, that’s the aim,” the Nigerian said.

“We need to give our best and do what we can as a team because we’re on a good journey here and I’m excited for what’s to come, so let’s see where that takes us.”

The former Charlton Athletics player spent three years at the Ibrox and became a crowd favorite.

Aribo played a prominent role in Rangers’ 55th domestic league title and last season’s Scottish Cup success.

He played a total of 70 matches for the Giovanni Van Bronckhorst side and the National team, a number that set him apart from all the professional footballers across the world.

“It definitely was (a difficult decision),” Aribo told TalkSport. “Rangers are a massive club and it was amazing being there from minute one.”

“It was a really hard decision for me but my aim was always to play in the Premier League because it’s the best league in the world.

“It’s always been a goal for me to reach that and so I had to take that opportunity” He said.

Aribo will make his debut in English topflight football when Southampton kick start the new Premier League campaign away at Tottenham on Saturday August 6.

He’ll get his home debut when the Saints host Leeds at St Mary’s on August 13.