Steven Gerrard has favoured a 4-3-2-1 and 4-3-1-2 formation at Aston Villa, packing the midfield with a ball-player, box-to-box man and ball-winner, allowing the playmaker(s) ahead of them to create opportunities.
And with three midfielders (Morgan Sanson, Douglas Luiz, Conor Hourihane) having an uncertain future at Villa Park, Gerrard has a replacement who would fit his new system perfectly – Joe Aribo.
The 25-year-old has made 56 appearances for Rangers this season, scoring nine goals with 10 assists. He operates as a central attacking-midfielder but can also play out wide.
Aribo would reportedly cost £10m and has the attributes to improve Villa’s midfield, but Noel Whelan questions if he’s required given the current options. He told Football Insider: “They’re certainly trying to bolster their ranks in that central midfield and number ten position, aren’t they?
“You don’t want to over-saturate your squad – especially when they have very good, international-calibre players ahead in the pecking order – Coutinho, Ramsey, Buendia, McGinn.
“Aribo has got to ask himself and ask Aston Villa – ‘am I going to be playing week-in, week-out?’ He can play other positions around that midfield, I’m sure, but is he comfortable doing that almost every week?”
Aribo has been a regular at Rangers, showcasing a real knack for scoring goals while boasting high levels of creativity, so why wouldn’t Gerrard want him? If the Villa boss is considering a move, clearly Aribo capable of making the step up as he managed the midfielder during his stint in Scotland.
It makes sense to bring in another creative goalscorer who can play in midfield and as a playmaker, especially if Rangers are motivated to sell rather than losing him for nothing in 2023, so time will tell if a deal gets over the line.
In other news, Alan Hutton tips Aston Villa to sign Joe Aribo this summer
