Transfer insider Dean Jones has made a claim involving Aston Villa and their pursuit of Glasgow Rangers defender Calvin Bassey. 

The lowdown: Villans interested

Steven Gerrard took the versatile left-back to Ibrox from Leicester City in 2020 and Bassey has since amassed 65 appearances for the Glasgow giants.

Since then, Villa have been heavily linked with a move for the 22-year-old and it was recently claimed that Bassey was 'open' to a move away from Scotland this summer.

After the confirmed departure of Matt Targett to Newcastle United on a permanent basis, Gerrard could now be eyeing up an attempt to lure one of his former charges to Villa Park to fill the void...

The latest: Jones on Targett

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones suggested that the Villans are readying themselves for a strong attempt to lure the three-cap Nigeria ace to the Midlands.

He said: “I think at this stage, Aston Villa seem to be in a good position to negotiate. We’ve already seen Steven Gerrard have a big impact on signings they’ve already got through the door.

“People are speaking very well about him as a person and a manager and Calvin Bassey will be more than aware of what he could bring to his game further so definitely the Gerrard effect could work.”

The verdict: Make it happen

Predominantly operating as a left-back in 28 outings under Gerrard, Bassey is equally adept at centre-back and therefore could feasibly be viewed as a long-term successor and perhaps an immediate alternative to an out of sorts Tyrone Mings, as well as acting as an understudy to Lucas Digne.

During 2021/22, the youngster, who was dubbed a 'machine' by Rangers fan and journalist Graeme Hanna, provided six assists in a mammoth 50 appearances across all competitions, underlining impressive durability that would be welcomed to the Bodymoor Heath ranks for what can be a long season, particularly in a World Cup year.

Overall, the enterprising Nigerian defender earned a 6.97 Sofascore rating, winning 6.0 duels and completing 52.3 accurate passes on average per game whilst keeping 13 clean sheets from 29 Scottish Premiership outings.

Despite being valued at a lofty £25million by Rangers, upon receipt of a healthy £15million for the sale of Targett, this is a move that would be a worthwhile venture for ownership group NSWE and Sporting Director Johan Lange.

In other news, Aston Villa are eyeing a Champions League star Gerrard saw up close on a scouting trip