Bassey deal banks record transfer fee for Rangers

RANGERS banked a club record £19.6 million transfer fee yesterday when centrehalf Calvin Bassey completed his move to Ajax. Bassey, a £230,000 acquisition from Leicester City just two years ago, signed a five-year deal with the Dutch champions after completing a medical.

The 22-year-old was outstanding for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team last season as they reached the

Europa League final and lifted the Scottish Cup.

The sum which Rangers received for the Nigeria internationalist could rise to £22.5m. That eclipses the £12m they made when Scotland rightback Nathan Patterson departed for Everton in January.

Van Bronckhorst has increased his options at centre-back this summer despite Leon Balogun departing and Bassey being sold. John Souttar, a free transfer from Hearts, and Ben Davies, a £4m capture from Liverpool, have both arrived.

Nikola Katic, the Croatian defender who spent last term on loan at Hajduk Split in his homeland, has also returned to Glasgow.

Vice-captain Connor Goldson, who was expected to move back down south, agreed a four-year contract extension last month.

Van Bronckhorst, whose team play Livingston away in their first cinch Premiership match of the new season on Saturday week, has made six new signings in total this summer.

He is short of cover at left-back following Bassey’s exit and has been linked with a move for Turkey defender Ridvan Yilmaz of Besiktas.

The Dutchman is confident the players he has brought in will enable Rangers to cope with the loss of Joe Aribo, who signed for Southampton for £10m this month, and Bassey.

“We have lost some players from last year so I am really happy that we could get new players in so early,” he told Rangers TV.

“They have all come in the last 10 days more or less. We have a team of very good characters. The team is welcoming every new face that is coming in.

“Once you sign you are one of the

family and we keep working towards our goals for this season. All my players will get minutes this weekend and be ready for the start.”

Ajax technical director Gerry Hamstra compared Bassey, who will replace Argentina internationalist Lisandro Martinez, to former Celtic and current Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk, and predicted the versatile defender can shine in the Champions League and will play in the Premier League in the future.

He said: “Calvin got into professional football late at Leicester City. From there, like Jaap Stam and Virgil van Dijk did a bit in the past, he fought his way up. Calvin is an open personality and he has really taken off at Rangers. We are getting one of the stars of the Europa League final.

“At first he played at left-back but then Giovanni van Bronckhorst put him in the centre. He is a boy who has made great strides in a short time.

“From here he can still make a nice step to the top of England in two or three years.”

Meanwhile, Rangers yesterday announced they will play Spurs for the Walter Tull Memorial Cup in their pre-season friendly at Ibrox on Saturday.