Mike Slater

Fri 27 May 2022 7:40, UK

Rangers defender Calvin Bassey is not on the verge of an imminent exit from Ibrox, according to Mike McGrath.

The Telegraph journalist reported that while there are admiring glances from the Premier League, the Bears are not expecting any bids until later in the transfer window.

Instead, the 22-year-old is now expected to jet off next week to complete international duty with Nigeria after the season ended in success in the Scottish Cup.

Sky Sports followed up this story on Thursday evening, with the exit talk going overboard now.

They report that Rangers will now expect a record-breaking fee for a Scottish-based player ever, wanting more than the £25million Arsenal paid for Kieran Tierney from Celtic.

With the likes of Aston Villa said to be interested, Bassey is reportedly open to speaking with former boss Steven Gerrard over a potential move to the Premier League.

No pressure.

All of the cards are in Rangers’ deck right now, they are in a position where they don’t need to sell.

With Connor Goldson likely leaving once his contract expires in the coming weeks, Bassey has the chance to step up and be the main man at the back for a club that gave him his chance in professional football.

It wasn’t going in the right direction at Leicester City, but a move to Ibrox transformed his career and Giovanni van Bronckhorst has taken him to a level that even Gerrard didn’t.

Shining in the Europa League has worked against Rangers in some sense, with Premier League clubs now convinced that the Nigerian enforcer can do it on the big stage with ease.

It is a win-win for the Bears though.

Either we keep one of our best talents for another season, or we pocket around £30million – that is unheard of.

There are some very big decisions to be made, but it looks as though they won’t have to be made for a few more weeks yet at Ibrox – watch this space.

In other Rangers news, One 25-year-old could now be deemed as surplus to requirements at Ibrox this season