A crushing Rangers transfer update has emerged, regarding the future of midfielder Joe Aribo...

What's the talk?

According to AllNigeriaSoccer, the ex-Charlton man has informed the club of his unwillingness to put pen to paper on a contract extension.

The report claims the Gers opened talks with him over a new deal before being told that he does not want to extend his stay in Glasgow.

Premier League sides Brentford, Crystal Palace, and Watford are all reportedly interested in signing the playmaker ahead of the January window.

Gutting

This report will surely leave Rangers fans gutted as it opens the door to the possibility of Aribo leaving Ibrox in the coming transfer windows.

The Nigeria international has been in fine form of late and his exit would be a major blow to Gio van Bronckhorst's squad, which is why this is a crushing update. He has been crucial to the club's success over the past 18 months and his decision not to extend his contract could force the Dutch head coach into making a very difficult decision.

Aribo's current deal expires in the summer of 2023 and van Bronckhorst may need to weigh up whether or not it is worth cashing in on him in January to get maximum value or to keep him at the club and run the risk of him leaving for a cut-price fee or for nothing. It is a tricky situation for the 43-year-old and Ross Wilson to manage, but they have little choice if the midfielder is refusing to play ball in negotiations.

His former Charlton teammate Ezri Konsa previously lauded him as 'unique' and compared him to Yaya Toure in quotes that sum up his importance to the Gers. He said: “Having Gerrard as his manager at Rangers, that has made him go up another level.

“Joe’s style is unique. When I was with him at Charlton he did remind me for a while of a left-footed Yaya Toure. But you don’t get a lot of midfielders like Joe, there aren’t many around.

“Like Toure, for a tall guy he’s got such great feet. But that languid style he’s got is actually fairly unique in the game."

The 25-year-old beast averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.40 last season in the Premiership, scoring six goals and providing four assists in 26 appearances. This term, he has averaged a score of 7.38 and managed five goals and two assists in 16 games, highlighting his consistency and quality at this level, which is why fans will be gutted that he appears set on a move away from the club.

Losing a player who is able to perform to such a high standard, consistently, over an 18-month period could be a big blow for the Gers and fans will be fuming that he does not want to extend his stay at Ibrox. It could now be an interesting January window for Aribo if clubs act on their interest in him.

AND in other news, 64x possession lost: GVB must work his magic on £5.6k-p/w Rangers dud with 0 assists...