Joe Aribo’s time at Southampton appears to be nearing its end, with the Nigeria international expected to leave the Championship club in January after being frozen out by manager Will Still.
The 29-year-old midfielder, said to be earning around £70,000 per week, has not played a single minute this season and has been completely omitted from the Saints’ matchday squads.
Saints fan pundit Martin Sanders told Football League World that Aribo has no future under Still and insisted the club would look to offload him when the transfer window reopens.
“He’s a player that won’t play again under Will Still, that’s for sure,” Sanders said.
“If he was to be involved, he’d have been involved by now. Something must’ve gone on — maybe he didn’t want to be there or wasn’t committed enough.”
Aribo joined Southampton from Rangers in 2022 for an initial £6 million fee, potentially rising to £10 million, and signed a four-year contract.
However, the midfielder has struggled to match the form that made him a star at Rangers, where he played a crucial role in the club’s run to the 2022 Europa League final, scoring in the final against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Last season, Aribo featured 38 times in the Championship, netting four goals and helping the Saints in their push for promotion through the play-offs.
Despite that contribution, Sanders described the Nigerian’s overall impact as “pretty average”.
“Saints signed him for about £7.5m, and people thought he’d be brilliant value,” he noted.
“But he’s failed to really deliver. He’s had good and bad games — decent in the play-offs — but not a massive miss overall.”
Aribo was left out of the opening-day squad amid transfer talks with Turkish giants Besiktas, but the deal collapsed before the summer window closed.
With his contract expiring at the end of the season, Southampton now risk losing him on a free transfer if a January sale cannot be agreed.
Sanders suggested the club might even consider paying off his contract to ease their wage bill.
“To have him frozen out for this long and bring him back would be desperate,” he added.
“I’m surprised he’s still here. They’ll do everything to cash in or get rid of him — probably even pay up his contract.”
Since his arrival at St Mary’s, Aribo has made 104 appearances for the Saints. But with his current exile showing no signs of ending, the midfielder has become a forgotten figure — and his Southampton journey looks all but over.
