Ajax should be offering Premier League relegation-battlers Leeds United and Southampton the chance to sign Calvin Bassey for half of his £20 million price-tag, former Netherlands international Rene Van der Gijp tells Veronica Inside.
For so long, it seemed as if Ajax could do no wrong in the transfer market. But, with neither Erik ten Hag nor Marc Overmars calling the shots at the Johan Cruyff Arena these days, 2022/23 is certainly shaping up to be a season to forget, both on and off the pitch.
Winless in five, Alfred Schreuder’s Ajax slipping adrift of Feyenoord in top spot. The majority of their summer signings, meanwhile, have made either a negative impact or no impact at all. Lucas Ocampos could return to Sevilla after just 99 minutes of Eredivisie football. Owen Wijndal, Lorenzo Lucca, Jorge Sanchez and Francisco Conceicao have found starts hard to come by, while Steven Bergwijn’s goals have dried up after a bright start.
Bassey’s £20 million price-tag, meanwhile, continues to hang like a millstone around the former Rangers defender’s neck.
Ajax should offer former Rangers defender Calvin Bassey to Leeds or Southampton
“Bassey is just really funny (to watch),” former Ajax midfielder Kenneth Perez told ESPN, casting serious doubt on whether the Nigeria international has the technical ability to thrive at a club renowned for their dominant possession play.
“He is very poor on the ball. Bambi on ice. It’s almost pathetic, because the opponent naturally lets him free (to give the ball away).”
Two-time Eredivisie champion Van der Gijp, meanwhile, believes Ajax should already be looking to cut their losses.
“If I were Ajax, I would call Southampton and Leeds United and say; ‘You can have him for 12.5 million euros (£10 million),” Van der Gijp sighs.
“Where did it go wrong (at Ajax)? How dissatisfied will they be there. Two years ago, everyone thought they were going to become the Bayern Munich of the Netherlands. Totally untouchable.
“So you see what a little mismanagement can do in a year. (It can) mess up your whole club.”
Bassey shone in a more counter-attacking approach during the 2021/22 season at Rangers; thriving as a left-back and as a left-sided centre-half as Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side knocked out RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund on route to the final.
According to Bassey’s representatives, via OwnGoalNigeria, Arsenal, West Ham United and Aston Villa came calling for the one-time Leicester City prospect before his big-money move to the Dutch capital.
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