Charlton Athletic have not given up hope of convincing midfielder Joe Aribo to sign a new contract as Premier League clubs including Arsenal look to snare the youngster.
Aribo is out of contract at the end of the season but football.london understands that talks between the 22-year-old and the Addicks are ongoing, though convincing him to agree to new terms remains an uphill battle.
Arsenal are among the clubs waiting in the wings to snare Aribo, a dynamic midfielder who has scored six goals in 26 League One games this season and is viewed by some within youth football as having the skillset that could see him develop into an Aaron Ramsey-type player.
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Sources around Charlton acknowledge that it would be a tough sell indeed to keep Aribo from the Premier League if the club fail to escape League One this season. However there is hope that, were the south Londoners to gain promotion to the Championship, the prospect of regular football at a higher level might convince him to stay.
Charlton are currently fifth in the League One table with eight games remaining. With an 11 point gap to second-placed Barnsley it is highly likely that their only avenue back to the Championship lies through the playoffs.
Aribo, who has made 84 appearances for Charlton since breaking into the side in late 2016, is understood to have a close relationship with Addicks head coach Lee Bowyer and has relished working under the tutelage of both the former England international and Jonny Williams, the 25-year-old former Crystal Palace playmaker who joined in January.
Bowyer said in December: "Joe knows we want him to sign, I believe Joe wants to sign, he will sign, and Joe knows he's learning.
"He ain't gonna go anywhere else - in this division or even in the Championship - and learn more and play games. He needs to play, like last season he wasn't even playing!"
Though Charlton still hope Aribo will stay they came close to cashing in on him in January, when Benfica were among the leading contenders for his signature.
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Cost-cutting measures by owner Roland Duchatelet meant the club had to withdraw a long-term deal for the midfielder last summer and it remains to be seen whether a change in ownership could encourage Charlton to put together a more compelling offer to keep Aribo.
It will, though, be tough to keep Aribo from the lure of the Premier League. In addition to Arsenal, Tottenham have previously been linked with the midfielder whilst Southampton are also believed to hold an interest.
The Gunners have close ties with Charlton, having sent Stephy Mavididi and Krystian Bielik on loan to The Valley in recent years. With a limited budget in the summer window signing Aribo at the cost of just a nominal development fee would be a tempting option for Arsenal.
Were he to move to the Premier League, Aribo would be the latest graduate of Charlton's much-admired academy to make the step up. Joe Gomez, Jonjo Shelvey and Carl Jenkinson have gone on to win senior England caps whilst Karlan Grant and Ademola Lookman also ply their trade in the top flight.
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