Lee Bowyer has launched a stinging attack on Joe Aribo over his decision to leave Charlton for Rangers.
The midfielder is expected to complete his £300,000 switch to Ibrox today after Bowyer failed with a last ditch attempt to convince him to stay at the Valley.
Aribo was also being chased by a host of English Championship sides with Brighton making a late move to try and snatch him from under Rangers boss Steven Gerrard's nose.
But Gerrard won the race and Bowyer is not impressed.
The Charlton boss - who himself looked to be leaving the Addicks only two weeks ago before performing a late u-turn - reckons Rangers is not the club to further develop Aribo's career.
He says English players reach the end of their career when they move to either side of the Old Firm.
But he accepts his club had no chance of matching the financial terms Rangers could offer.
Bowyer blasted: “I worked so hard to get him to this situation he is in now. It is about progression for him.
“So it’s a shame if he gets pushed to somewhere where it is not going to benefit him in his football career. If he goes to Rangers that is not the right place for him to go for his football career.
“You have got Rangers and Celtic who are massive clubs, I get that. And I get that Steven Gerrard was a great player, so that’s an attraction. Those two things are the attraction – but not everything else.
“It doesn’t make sense on the football side. When people from England go and play for Celtic and Rangers it is at the end of their careers. That’s because it is very rare you get a move from Rangers to the Premier League, and I don’t mean any disrespect by that.
“They might go from Rangers to the Championship, very rarely is it to the Premier League. For me he should stay in England and keep progressing. The move should benefit Joe.”
In terms of the personal deal on offer, Bowyer admits Charlton were blown out the water by Rangers. Reports down south on Monday claimed the Ibrox club offered Aribo treble the terms of the Addicks.
Bowyer said: “For us to be able to compete financially with Rangers or any other team really, it is not possible unfortunately. It’s a completely different league to what we’re offering.
“I met and had a chat with Joe on Friday. I told him that if he was going to go, at least stay in England – because that is where the best football is.
"If you have got the opportunity to go and play Premier League football, then at least you are going to the best place.”
