The Dutch Eredivisie champions are looking for a new left-sided defender due to the impending sale of Lisandro Martinez to Manchester United and, according to reports, they have lined up Bassey as his replacement.

Rangers’ 22-year-old Nigerian internationalist is one of the most coveted young defenders in European football after a stand-out 2021/22 campaign, where he earned the man-of-the-match award in the Europa League final defeat by Eintracht Frankfurt. He played a huge part in the club’s successful European run and also helped Rangers win the Scottish Cup.

Sky Sports are claiming that Ajax head coach Alfred Schreuder has already held a phonecall with Bassey, who while very settled at Ibrox with two years remaining on his contract, would also entertain a move away from Rangers should the right club come in for him.

Rangers defender Calvin Bassey has many admirers across Europe.

English clubs Brighton and Hove Albion and Aston Villa, managed by former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard, are also admirers of Bassey, while a clutch of unnamed clubs on the continent – including those in Germany and Italy – are mulling over bids.

Rangers signed Bassey from Leicester City in 2020 for just £230,000 and would make an enormous profit on Bassey should they decide to sell. Ibrox officials are adamant that any bids that come in for the player will need to be higher than £20million, with some in the Rangers boardroom of the belief that a fee in excess of £25m would be required. That would break the all-time record for Scottish sale, held by Kieran Tierney when he left Celtic to join Arsenal three years ago.

Following the sale of Bassey’s countryman Joe Aribo to Southampton last weekend, Rangers have already recouped close to £10m in transfer fees this summer.

Rangers let another Nigerian in Leon Balogun leave earlier in the summer, but have also strengthened their defensive options with the arrival of John Souttar from Hearts, while Connor Goldson has signed a new long-term contract after much speculation over his future. Manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst has also added PAOK forward Antonio Colak, Derby County midfielder Tom Lawrence and Schalke 04 winger Rabbi Matondo to his squad.

Calvin Bassey: Nine clubs monitoring Rangers defender but Ajax poised to make big bid after talks