Ajax sign Calvin Bassey as Lisandro Martinez replacement
Ajax signed Glasgow Rangers defender Calvin Bassey to a five-year contract. The Nigerian was in Amsterdam on Sunday to do a medical and sign his contract. Ajax is to pay Rangers 23 million with 3.5 million in performance bonuses.
Bassey is will replace centre-back Lisandro Martinez, who has joined ex-Ajax Manager Erik ten Hag at Manchester United. Bassey can also play at the left back position.
The 22-year-old leaves Rangers having played 65 matches for the Scottish outfit, which reached the Europa League final last season. He won the Scottish Premiership and the Scottish cup During his time there. Bassey has played six times for the Nigerian national team.
He is already training with the team in Austria, and could play in a tune-up match against Eintracht Frankfurt this weekend. Bassey was signed the same week the team acquired young Portuguese forward Francisco Conceição. He will join Ajax from FC Porto for five million.
Ajax’s rivals for the title, PSV Eindhoven, also made an addition to the centre-back position this week. Jarrad Branthwaite will be joining on loan from Premiership side Everton.
Branthwaite has played 37 matches, with only ten in the Premier League. PSV director Marcel Brands knows Branthwaite from his time as director of football for the club, with Brands being the man who signed Branthwaite for the club from Liverpool.
"Marcel spoke to me about the club and its history. Now I am here; those words feel right. If you ask me, this feels like the perfect step for me”, said the 20-year-old from Carlisle, England.
