Glasgow Rangers are now just eight wins away from securing their first Premiership title since the 2020/21 campaign.
Philippe Clement has overseen a remarkable turnaround from a club who were on the verge of a major crisis, to one that has a realistic chance at winning a domestic treble.
The Belgian has made the Light Blues a better team to watch, made them harder to beat and, more importantly, has inspired confidence among the players that they can overhaul Celtic in the title race.
Another positive aspect of his reign so far has been his impact in the transfer window. Previously, the Gers had struggled to obtain the correct sort of players in the January transfer window. Think back to the likes of Aaron Ramsey or Jack Simpson, players who struggled to make an impact during their spell at the club.
Three new arrivals joined the club, and the trio are all aged 22 or under, which suggests Clement could be going in a totally new direction with regard to future transfer business.
The Gers have trailed Celtic in this regard over the previous few years, as they tend to maximise their player trading model by buying low before selling high, giving them a greater financial reward.
Rangers, on the other hand, have failed to really utilise this model since returning to the Premiership in 2016. Alongside Nathan Patterson, Calvin Bassey is perhaps the only player to have been sold for a fee which the club should be expecting from developing young talents.
How much Calvin Bassey cost Rangers
The summer of 2020 saw Steven Gerrard bolster his squad ahead of another tilt at winning the league title.
Ianis Hagi joined on a permanent deal, while Kemar Roofe and Cedric Itten were signed in order to give the club something extra going forward.
Bassey, a talented left-back who was playing for Leicester City, was another new arrival, costing significantly less than the other three.
Player
Club joined from
Ianis Hagi
Genk
Cedric Itten
FC St. Gallen
Kemar Roofe
Anderlecht
Jon McLaughlin
Sunderland
Calvin Bassey
Leicester City
Jermain Defoe
Bournemouth
Leon Balogun
Wigan Athletic
Bongani Zungu
Amiens SC
Indeed, the Gers only had to pay a compensation fee of around £230k due to cross-border rules, and it was a signing which Gerrard was hoping could play a big part at the club in the coming years.
It didn’t take him long to settle in at the Glasgow side.
Calvin Bassey’s statistics at Rangers
Borna Barisic was firmly established as the number-one choice at left-back when Bassey arrived, but the youngster was expected to provide support and cover whenever necessary.
The defender ended up featuring on 15 occasions throughout his debut season, contributing with one goal, and the future looked bright for Bassey.
The following season began with disappointment as the Gers failed to qualify for the Champions League, yet Bassey failed to see any action during the two matches.
It wasn’t until a defensive injury crisis, ruling out Leon Balogun and Filip Helander, that Bassey firmly established himself in the starting XI.
Over the course of the whole season, the Nigerian international ended up making 50 appearances in all competitions, grabbing six assists, while emerging as one of Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s finest players.
He played in all but one of their Europa League clashes as the Ibrox side reached a historic final against Eintracht Frankfurt, suffering defeat on penalties.
His stock had risen considerably throughout the season, showcasing his defensive abilities alongside Connor Goldson, and it was clear there would be potential suitors for his signature in the summer of 2022.
How much Rangers sold Calvin Bassey for
Despite coming so close to European success, Rangers only won the Scottish Cup during the 2021/22 campaign, meaning Van Bronckhorst had to recruit well in the transfer window.
He made several signings, yet the majority of these were funded by the sale of Bassey, who ended up moving to Ajax following his stunning season on a personal note.
The Dutch giants ended up splashing out a transfer fee just under £23m to bring the defender to Amsterdam, with the sale proving to be the club’s record departure.
It appears to have been a stroke of genius by the club, as Bassey’s market value has decreased significantly since moving abroad to join Ajax.
Calvin Bassey’s current market value
On the surface, it was clear that Ajax overpaid to sign the defender two years ago, as his value at the time was a paltry €1.1m (£1m), certainly proving the notion that the Gers struck gold on the player.
According to Football Transfers, Bassey is valued at €14.4m (£12.3m) at the time of writing, which is £10.7m less than the £23m fee which took him to the Netherlands in 2022.
The “explosive” brute – as so dubbed by Steve Beaglehole, his U23 coach at Leicester – did not enjoy the greatest of spells abroad, it's fair to say.
He started just 20 league matches for the Eredivisie side before joining Fulham last summer in a deal worth £18.2m, meaning Ajax recouped nearly their original outlay.
So far this term, the left-back has played 21 Premier League matches, even scoring once, during a wonderful 2-1 win against Manchester United in February.
It looks as though the English top flight suits him more, and it proves his spell at Ajax was just a blip, as the 24-year-old is a wonderful defender, as demonstrated during his two seasons at Rangers.
Clement will be hoping that he can attract young talent similar in stature to Bassey with the intent of selling them on for a major profit further down the line.
Indeed, Mohamed Diomande, a £4.3m capture during the January transfer window, certainly fits the bill with regard to a player trading model.
The 22-year-old has already demonstrated his abilities in Scotland during his short spell so far, and if he continues to improve at a rapid rate, there will be plenty of suitors showing interest.
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While the club won't want to move on every player who shows promise, the key is to maximise potential profit, which, in turn, will allow the manager the chance to purchase more players.
Selling Bassey enabled Rangers to splurge on a few players, indicating that they hit the jackpot by moving him on for such a big fee.