CHARLTON boss Lee Bowyer admits it will be 'impossible' to replace Joe Aribo following his move to Rangers.

The midfielder quit The Valley to agree a four-year deal at Ibrox and made his competitive debut in the Europa League win over St Joseph's on Tuesday night.

Aribo helped Charlton win promotion to the Championship last term as Bowyer's side beat Sunderland in the play-off final at Wembley.

And the Englishman knows he will find it tough to find someone that is capable of filling the void left by the 22-year-old this summer.

He said: “It’s vital. But to replace Joe, with the budget we have got, is impossible. That’s just a fact.

“We have got to try and get as close as we can to someone with Joe’s qualities and ability as we possibly can.

“We are constantly on the phone and going through videos. We are working like you couldn’t imagine – the only time we are not talking about it is when we are sleeping.

“Even on Wednesday I had a day off but all day I was on the phone going through players that we’ve got on our list.

"Can he replace him? Could he bring what he brought? It’s tough. I knew it was going to be tough.

“It’s frustrating because you just want to have a go. If we could have a go then I think we’d do really, really well. But we’re limited.

“What I would say is that it is a challenge and we will get there. The people we bring in will be good players. I’ve got no doubt about that. I think we’ll be fine.”