Aston Villa are reportedly closing in on the signing of Rangers defender Calvin Bassey, who will become the Villans’ fourth summer arrival.
According to The Times, Aston Villa are prepared to ‘step up’ their pursuit of Rangers defender Calvin Bassey. The Premier League side are keen on improving their defence ahead of the 2022/23 season and have identified the 22-year-old former Leicester City academy ace as a potential summer signing.
Bassey starred for Rangers as the Giovanni van Bronckhorst-managed side reached the UEFA Europa League final, where they lost to Eintracht Frankfurt on penalties. He was not a sure-shot starter at the start of the season but forced his way into the starting XI midway through the recently-concluded campaign, enjoying a remarkable rise.
The Nigerian international can play at left-back too, which could make him a valuable asset to have in the squad. Bassey was signed for Rangers in 2020 by former Steven Gerrard, who is now managing Aston Villa. The defender made 15 appearances across competitions under the former Liverpool midfielder in a league title-winning season for the Rangers.
The Aston Villa boss now wants a reunion with Bassey as the Villans prepare for the upcoming season following a 14th-placed finish this term. The 22-year-old is one of Villa’s top targets and the Premier League side are said to be ‘closing in’ on the Rangers defender.
Gerrard is also reportedly interested in signing Liverpool centre-back Joe Gomez, who has fallen down the pecking order at Anfield. Aston Villa approached the Reds with a loan offer for Gomez in the January transfer window, but their advancements were rejected.
Aston Villa have also been linked with James Tarkowski, who will be available on a free as his contract with Burnley expires next month.
The Villans are in the market to strengthen many other positions. They recently completed the signing of midfielder Boubacar Kamara on a five-year deal on Monday and have agreed a deal to land Diego Carlos from Sevilla. The update comes just days after Philippe Coutinho made his loan move permanent, signalling that the Aston Villa board is keen to provide Steven Gerrard with a solid squad next season.
Gerrard making all of the right moves and attracting quality signings who are undoubtedly upgrades and signing them early so that they have plenty of time to gel with their team mates. Plenty of outgoings also some may appear harsh but the ambition is to try to achieve a European place, these decisions have to be made.
With more strong signings in the pipeline no doubt Villa will be a different proposition next season.
And I personally believe that Villa will achieve their ambitions sooner rather than later.