Chelsea are reportedly ready to battle it out with Bayern Munich in the race to sign 22-year-old Rangers defender Calvin Bassey this summer.
According to Fichajes, Rangers are set for a fierce battle in their quest to keep hold of Calvin Bassey. The 22-year-old defender has raised many eyebrows with his performances in Europe, with Chelsea and Bayern Munich now prepared to go head to head in the race to snap him up in the summer transfer window.
A product of the Leicester City youth academy, Bassey is a left-back by trade, but he has made an impression playing as a centre-back for Rangers. Standing at 1.85m, the Italian born Nigerian defender is primarily known for his immense physical prowess as he can effortlessly outmuscle almost every attacker in Europe.
Bassey is extremely strong in the air as well and has the dogged defensive attitude one would expect from any central defender. In addition, the defender has the knack for occasionally making the attacking runs, having played the chunk of his career as a left-back.
It all adds up to Bassey’s credential as a well-rounded defender who has showcased his quality in the UEFA Europa League this season, with his contributions helping Rangers reach the final of the coveted competition, only to lose to Eintracht Frankfurt in the final. He was even a top performer in the final, which Rangers lost only to penalties.
But the 22-year-old could consider improving his chances for silverware by joining a bigger team at the end of the season. The report suggests Bayern Munich are one of the teams keen on securing his services, with the Bavarians hoping to replace Niklas Sule after the defender agreed to join arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund.
Chelsea, though, are labelled as favourites in the race to sign the Rangers defender. The Blues are on the verge of losing three of their most important defenders at the end of the season, and the tally could increase to four if Marcos Alonso also ends up joining Barcelona.
It has compelled Chelsea to enter the market for multiple new defenders. The Premier League giants have considered the possibility of signing Alessio Romagnoli on a free transfer. Bassey, to that end, could be another smart reinforcement as the Nigerian defender can offer the physical presence in the backline, while he has also shown immense potential ever since his breakthrough at Rangers.
The 22-year-old can serve as a backup for Ben Chilwell at left-back as well, thus making him an ideal coup for Chelsea as they look to rebuild their defensive unit in the coming summer.
