One former BBC pundit has insisted that Rangers ‘can’t afford’ to let Joe Aribo leave the club for free, amid continuing uncertainty over his contract.

The Lowdown: Contract uncertainty

The 25-year-old has entered the final year of his current deal with Gers, opening up the possibility of pre-contract discussions with foreign clubs from next January.

However, speaking on Nigerian radio station Brilla FM (via Complete Sports), the former Charlton player has maintained that he is happy at Rangers and is not thinking about leaving Ibrox this summer.

Following the Light Blues' impressive run to the Europa League final, Aribo has attracted interest from a number of Premier League clubs, with the most notable reportedly being Crystal Palace.

The Latest: Whelan’s claim on Aribo

Whelan, who used to work as a pundit for BBC Radio, has suggested that Aribo’s uncertain contract situation could force Rangers into selling him this summer rather than letting him walk away for nothing next year.

Speaking with Football Insider about the Nigeria international, the 47-year-old claimed: “They really can’t afford to lose him for free.

“As much as the European run has brought in, they still need to stay in the black and bring new players in. Especially if you’re losing players like Aribo.

“They can’t just let him walk away for free. This money generated by players is vitally important to Rangers, we know that.”

The Verdict: Rangers need the money

With Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side entering the Champions League qualifying stages in the third round, Rangers will be looking to build a squad capable of making it to the group phase.

According to The Athletic, the Light Blues could decide to sanction a significant sale this summer in order to boost their transfer budget.

Therefore, the Gers may be hesitant to run the risk of losing out on a decent fee for Aribo, which is expected to be in the region of £10m.

Therefore, an Ibrox exit this summer could the plausible for the man who former Charlton team-mate Ezri Konsa likened to a "‘left-footed Yaya Toure".

In other news: Alex McLeish has made a big claim about Nikola Katic returning to Ibrox