Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard wants to win the growing Premier League battle for Rangers defender Calvin Bassey.
The Lowdown: Gerrard’s relationship with Bassey
Gerrard signed the 22-year-old from Leicester City whilst he was in charge at the Scottish outfit back in 2020.
The left-sided centre-back went on to play 28 times under the Englishman, before the manager made the move to Villa in late 2021.
Bassey has since gone on to establish himself as one of Rangers’ most crucial players, having amassed 64 appearances for the club to date – 17 of which have come in the UEFA Europa League.
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The Latest: Gerrard wants Bassey at Villa
According to a late-night report from the Daily Record, following a stunning display in Wednesday's final, Gerrard wants to reunite with Bassey at Aston Villa.
The Villans boss wants to strengthen the left side of his defence and has identified the Nigeria international as the man to do so.
Gerrard even sent a number of Villa officials to the Scottish Cup final to watch the defender face off against Hearts.
However, the former Ibrox man knows that he faces tough competition in the race for the youngster’s signature, with five Premier League teams, including Fulham, Wolves and Brentford, and a further two Serie A sides, all interested in signing the defender.
The Verdict: Bad news for Rangers
Former Hibs and Hearts midfielder Michael Stewart lauded Bassey following his display against Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday, when his side cruelly lost the tie on penalties. Taking to Twitter, Stewart claimed that the 22-year-old is “absolutely unbelievable”, and that Rangers “must do everything to keep a hold of him”.
Rangers are currently grasping on to Bassey as he is still under contract until the summer of 2024. However, if a club-record bid does come in for the centre-back, then it is unlikely that the club rejects the offer, especially now with no automatic pass into the Champions League.
Therefore, news of Gerrard's renewed interest will come as a huge blow for Rangers fans.
In other news: Rangers: Paddy Kenny issues summer transfer warning