Ajax Lead Race for Bassey’s Signature

Premier League side Brighton and Dutch champions Ajax have held initial talks with Rangers over the potential signing of defender Calvin Bassey.

No formal bids have been lodged, but the Ibrox club want at least £20m for the 22-year-old, who is being tracked by several clubs across Europe.

Bassey was a standout for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side last term as they reached the Europa League final.

The Nigeria international has two years remaining on his Rangers contract.

The versatile defender, who can play left-back and centre-back, signed a four-year deal at Ibrox in the summer of 2020 after joining from Leicester City.

The Rangers board sanctioned a deal for Bassey’s international team-mate Joe Aribo to leave the club and join Southampton last week.

Van Bronckhorst’s men begin their competitive campaign in a fortnight, when they travel to Livingston on the opening day of the Scottish Premiership season.

Another report however stated that Ajax are set to close a deal for  Bassey next week. It’s claimed the Dutch giants are expected to trump Premier League side Brighton in the race to sign the Rangers star.

The 22-year-old is attracting serious interest from both clubs and The Telegraph report it’s the Eredivisie champions who are poised to prevail with a bid worth up to £20million. The report states Brighton will only go as high as £15m but that Ajax are willing to pay more.

The Amsterdam club have already splashed the cash this summer but are set to make a substantial profit on defender Lisandro Martinez as he closes in on a move to Manchester United. It’s believed Bassey is being viewed as a ready-made replacement for the Argentine centre-back. Brighton are also looking for a potential successor for left-back Marc Cucurella, who is a target for English champions Manchester City.

A £20m deal would smash Rangers ‘ previous record fee – a deal for Nathan Patterson which could rise as high as £16m following an initial £11m payment from Everton in January this year. Bassey rose to prominence in the latter half of last season as he inspired an Bronckhorst ‘s side on their run to the Europa League Final and in winning the Scottish Cup.

Van Bronckhorst wants Bassey to continue his development at Ibrox for another year but it’s looking ever more likely he will be heading for the Netherlands. A former Leicester City youth, he arrived at Rangers under Steven Gerrard in 2020 for around £230,000, meaning the club are set to make a substantial profit on their investment.