Dutch giants set to beat Brighton to signature of highly-regarded £20m defender

Brighton & Hove Albion look set to miss out on Rangers defender Calvin Bassey after the Bears accepted a transfer offer in excess of £20m from Dutch champions Ajax.
By Matt Pole
Published 18th Jul 2022, 15:12 BST
Updated 18th Jul 2022, 15:22 BST

This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.

Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The Scottish club have agreed a ten per cent sell-on fee should the Nigeria international exit Amsterdam, according to BBC Sport.

The deal is expected to be finalised in the coming days.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst said: "It looks like Calvin is moving on. Of course I want to keep him. I'm really happy with his performances.

Brighton & Hove Albion look set to miss out on Rangers defender Calvin Bassey (right) after the Bears accepted a transfer offer in excess of £20m from Dutch champions Ajax. Picture by Justin Setterfield/Getty ImagesBrighton & Hove Albion look set to miss out on Rangers defender Calvin Bassey (right) after the Bears accepted a transfer offer in excess of £20m from Dutch champions Ajax. Picture by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Brighton & Hove Albion look set to miss out on Rangers defender Calvin Bassey (right) after the Bears accepted a transfer offer in excess of £20m from Dutch champions Ajax. Picture by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"In the end, everything we do has to be in the best interests of the club. We have to look for another player to add to our squad. We have our list ready."

Bassey had attracted Albion’s attention due to his ability to play at centre half and left back.

READ THIS: Manchester United agree fee with Brighton for England under-23 defensive talent

Brighton set to battle it out with Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Tottenham Hotspur for giant striker

Champions League draw: Brighton owner Tony Bloom's Belgian club discover third qualifying round fate

The 22-year-old was tipped to replace popular Seagulls defender Marc Cucurella, who has been heavily linked with a move to Premier League title-holders Manchester City.

The Athletic has reported that Arsenal will make a move for the Blues’ versatile Ukrainian full back Oleksandr Zinchenko, which could lead to a City move for Cucurella.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Nigerian, who featured in 50 games for the Bears last campaign, was named in the 2021-22 UEFA Europa League team of the season after helping the club reach the final in Seville.

He made 14 appearances for Rangers in Europe and provided an assist against German heavyweights Borussia Dortmund in the knockout round play-offs.

Bassey has won the Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup since moving to Ibrox in 2020 from Leicester City.

Related topics:BrightonRangersBearsManchester UnitedBlues