Glasgow Rangers may not have enjoyed the best of starts to the current season, yet they secured victory in the League Cup final on Sunday to secure Philippe Clement his first trophy in charge of the Ibrox side.
It marks a stunning turnaround from where the club were in late September and the onus is for the Belgian to further strengthen his squad when the January transfer window opens.
Not only will he hope to bring a few players to Glasgow, but the 49-year-old coach will also be looking to build a sustainable player trading model in the process.
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ByRoss Kilvington
Michael Beale may have sold a few players during the summer, yet they weren’t the fees that Giovanni van Bronckhorst managed to rake in during his spell in charge of the club.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s transfer record at Rangers
The Dutchman perhaps didn’t enjoy the best record with regards to incomings, as many of his signings failed to really make an impression in Glasgow.
The likes of Aaron Ramsey and Amad Diallo failed to really get going at Ibrox during their six-month loan spells – the former notably missing a decisive spot kick in the Europa League final – while money was spent on Ben Davies, Ridvan Yilmaz and Antonio Colak; the less said about those the better.
The two defenders are still trying to make a name for themselves at the Light Blues, while Colak was sold after just a solitary season in Scotland.
With regard to player sales, however, the Dutchman managed to sell a few players for big profits.
Nathan Patterson was the first to leave, moving to Everton for a transfer fee in the region of £16m and it was the record fee received by the Scottish club at the time.
#1 Ben Davies
£4m
#2 Ridvan Yilmaz
£3.4m
#3 Rabbi Matondo
£2.5m
#4 Antonio Colak
£2.1m
#5 Aaron Ramsey
£675k loan fee
During the summer transfer window in 2022, Van Bronckhorst managed to sell another two players for big fees. Joe Aribo joined Southampton for £10m before defender Calvin Bassey moved abroad to sign for Ajax.
The Nigerian defender had enjoyed a breakthrough campaign and the Dutch side paid a fee of £23m, a price that obliterated the record Patterson had set just a few months prior.
It looks as though the Gers hit the jackpot with this sale, as the current Fulham gem has seen his market value decrease since leaving Scotland.
Calvin Bassey’s statistics at Rangers
Following another failure to secure the Premiership title during the 2019/20 season, Steven Gerrard spent that summer bolstering his squad and one young talent to arrive was Bassey.
Aged just 19, he arrived from Leicester City and was looked upon as a solid backup option to Borna Barisic. Throughout the title-winning campaign, the defender made 15 appearances across all competitions and the onus was for him to establish himself as part of the starting XI during 2021/22.
The “explosive” starlet – as so dubbed by his U23 coach at Leicester, Steve Beaglehole – may have required an injury crisis during his second season to forge his way into the starting XI, but he took full advantage.
He made fleeting appearances at left-back under Gerrard during the early stages of the season, but it wasn’t until Van Bronckhorst arrived combined with an injury crisis that saw him move to the centre of the defence.
Overall, he played in 50 matches during the whole campaign and he forged a solid partnership alongside Connor Goldson as the Light Blues came so close to securing Europa League glory.
These displays on the continental stage clearly attracted interest from afar, and it was Ajax who were the most attractive proposition for the player.
Having shone when given a consistent run in the team, Bassey had certainly earned his big move, yet he hasn’t quite enjoyed the same sort of success since leaving Rangers 18 months ago.
Calvin Bassey's performances since leaving Rangers
During his spell at Ajax, Bassey struggled to cope with the pressure as he made 39 appearances in all competitions yet failed to inspire the team to any sort of silverware.
Criticism for his displays was led by former midfielder Rafael van der Vaart, who said: "How is someone who played for Glasgow Rangers like Calvin Bassey going to be able to lead the defence at Ajax?
"Where was the Ajax youth system? Was there no one there better than him? Because if there isn't then you have a major problem. Sometimes it's better if you don't have any money because then you don't do crazy things. Then you wait for the right moment and occasionally take a chance. Instead, they spent 23 million Euros on Bassey.”
Harsh words indeed, and he lasted just a single season before joining Fulham this summer.
Accurate passes per game
52.4
43.3
Tackles per game
1.6
1.4
Total duels won per game
4.4
3.3
Interceptions won per game
0.9
1.5
Possession lost per game
9.2
9.3
Bassey currently ranks just sixth in the Cottagers squad for tackles per game (1.4) in the Premier League, while also ranking in the same position for clearances (two) and interceptions (1.5) per game.
Not only that, but the defender loses possession on average 9.3 times per game along with keeping just two clean sheets during his 12 league appearances so far.
Calvin Bassey's market value in 2023
It appears as though Bassey is struggling to get to grips with Premier League football and this is evidenced by his market value decreasing.
Having cost Ajax £23m when they signed him from Rangers, the 23-year-old is now worth €16.2m (£14m) according to Football Transfers, which represents a 40% decrease from the fee the Dutch side splashed out on him.
In reality, the Gers would have loved to have kept a talent like Bassey at the club, especially as he could have continued his development in the centre-back position.
They couldn’t turn down an offer such as the one presented by the Eredivisie side and the club have clearly struck gold by selling the 6 foot 1 brute for such a lavish profit.
Clement will be hoping to do the same once he gets into his first transfer window as manager of the Gers and, by building an effective player trading model, he will be able to lure talented starlets to the club with the premise of developing them into future stars.
This in turn will allow the Belgian to sell them on for a profit which can then be reinvested back into the playing squad.
