At the start of this season there were doubts as to whether or not Calvin Bassey was good enough for the role he currently had at the club, back-up left-back to Borna Barisic.
Now though, after a week that saw him collect two man of the match aways in two different positions, it’s safe to say that he is a key player under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
Signed as a development player, Bassey, now a Nigeria international, has two full seasons of senior football under his belt and is only going to get better, with two years left to run on his current deal, there is no panic to extend it quite yet but it should still be a priority job for Ross Wilson.
Currently on £6,000 a week according to Football League FC, the 22-year old is in line to more than treble his wage, according to a report in Football Insider:
“An Ibrox source has told Football Insider that the club are lining up new contract talks with Bassey as they look to reward him for his integral status in the team.
“Bassey, who signed on a four-year deal in 2020 after joining from Leicester City for £300,000, is set to be offered a “massive” pay hike.
“It would see his wages climb beyond the £20,000-a-week mark and into the top bracket of earners at Ibrox.”
Few would argue against such a decision, primarily so that it protects his value because he has the potential to go to any of the top leagues in Europe and not look out of place, yes, he is still raw but he has such a high ceiling in terms of what he could achieve.
There are a few contracts that need to be sorted this summer and Bassey’s name is near the top of the list, let’s hope the report is an accurate one and we don’t lose one of our most promising – and valuable – talents for below market value.