Rangers star Calvin Bassey has emerged as a transfer target for Ajax. According to reports, the Nigerian international has been identified by Ajax as a replacement for Lisandro Martinez, who is on the verge of joining Manchester United.
The versatile left-back, who can also play in central defense, rose to prominence last season after a string of spectacular performances both domestically and in Europe. He was outstanding in the Europa League Final, earning huge praise from fans and pundits across football.
Bassey has also attracted the attention of several Premier League clubs, including Aston Villa and Brighton and Hove Albion. He has two years left on his Rangers contract and is believed to be valued at £25million by the Scottish giants.
Manchester United are closing in on a £46m deal for Ajax’s defender Martinez. The Dutch giants want to sign Bassey to replace outgoing Argentine.
Rangers have already lost two Nigerians in this window, with Leon Balogun leaving as a free agent and Joe Aribo joining Southampton last week. Bassey could follow suit, with a move to the Netherlands to join Ajax being his most likely next destination.
However, Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst is hopeful of keeping hold of his star defender. He said on the Gers pre-season tour: “He is fantastic. Bassey is a player who is at the beginning of his career, but also a player who is open to coaching.
“He wants to develop himself, and hopefully we can have him longer here because his development needs to be a couple of years more before he reaches the level that he will be comfortable to get into a new team.”
