Southampton should follow Nottingham Forest's Lewis O'Brien rumours not to buy the player but as a blueprint to ask for a hefty Joe Aribo transfer fee for themselves.
During the season, a final Arsenal outing felt like a monotonous responsibility but now, it's turning up to be the future squad-decider in the eyes of Southampton fans. To be honest, there were many bright spots all around the Saints half but the typical Joe Aribo dropping under Simon Rusk wasn't a brilliant sight.
Plus, the worst part is waiting in store for Aribo as Still might've concluded that the 28-year-old's absence lies in the best interests of the lineup. Now, this will be a pitiful scenario for the midfielder which can even lead him to check-out from St. Mary's once and for all.
Coming to Southampton's board, they mustn't go against Still's wishes and offloading Aribo won't be a headache for them if the situation demands so. And that's while ensuring their budget books don't incur a massive loss during the Nigerian's overall stay.
Aribo's departure must be themed around Lewis O'Brien's exit
Simply put, his just shy of a £10m buying price can still be recovered in full even after a span of three years. The solution? Well, that lies in Nottingham Forest's rigid transfer tricks which they are implementing in the case of Saints transfer target Lewis O'Brien.
According to a report from journalist Alan Nixon, Forest have attached an £8m price tag for the Englishman. Now, nothing is wrong with that but remaining firm on a hefty paycheck for a flop signing must inspire Southampton to take notes too.
On top of that, Aribo has become more than a utility squad option for the club on every occasion, hence, his transfer ceiling must rightfully be higher than O'Brien's. Something like breaking even and restoring their eight-figure fee which needs no introduction as to how much it could bolster the Saints summer spending.