Ajax have joined the hunt to sign Super Eagles and Rangers defender Calvin Bassey this summer amid interest from numerous Premier League clubs.
Manchester United are closing in on a £46m deal for Ajax’s centre-back Lisandro Martinez and the Dutch champions are keen to spend some of their windfall on Bassey.
Brighton are also interested in the 22-year-old and both clubs are understood to have made offers for the versatile Bassey though not ones that have yet satisfied Rangers.
Rangers have put a £25m price tag on Bassey, who is equally comfortable and effective at both left-back and centre-back, two of the positions Martinez has been deployed in for Ajax.
Bassey has also been on Aston Villa’s radar, who are now managed by his former Gers boss Steven Gerrard.
Bassey joined Rangers from Leicester in 2020 for just £230,000 and has shot to prominence this season following a string of standout displays.
The Nigeria international has produced numerous man-of-the-match performances including in the Europa League final against Frankfurt and Rangers’ Scottish Cup final triumph against Hearts.
Rangers boss Giovanni Van Bronckhorst is a huge fan of the versatile left-back and has hailed his development last term as fantastic
Van Bronckhorst said on Gers pre-season tour: ‘Of course the development of Calvin Bassey last season was fantastic.
‘He can be very good. I always remember the first game we played at Hibs away and he had to come in because Leon Balogun went off.
‘He came in and the first action he had was pressing in midfield and he’s a serious physical presence.
‘The next day I saw him at the training ground and I remembered that action and I told him, ‘That is what I want from you when you play for us’.
‘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.
‘You never know what will happen. The potential Bassey has is massive, that is potential also other teams will notice he has.
‘Calvin came in, he is very sharp, very energetic and happy here. I think it is good for him to keep going, and to give everything he has to this team, which he’s done really well so far.’
