Former Rangers defender Calvin Bassey was reportedly wanted by English Premier League leaders Arsenal before his big money summer move to Ajax.
The Nigeria international left Rangers in a bumper £19 million summer switch but has received some criticism from the Dutch media having failed to live up to his hype in the Champions League and Eredivise early in his Ajax stint. The 22-year-old has been charged with filling the void left by Lisandro Martinez after the centre-back left for Manchester United as part of Erik ten Hag's Old Trafford overhaul.
However, things could have been very different for Bassey with former Ibrox midfielder and Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta keen on taking Bassey to the Emirates, according to the player's agent. Former boss Steven Gerrard was also keen for a Rangers reunion at Aston Villa, while David Moyes was looking to tempt the defender with a move to West Ham.
The player's agent told Own Goal Nigeria: "Arsenal contacted us and we made it known to Rangers, but they didn't follow up on the discussion. We also had interest from Aston Villa and West Ham but in the end Ajax had the best offer.
"Not in terms of money but for his development. They promised regular game time."
Despite a sluggish start to his time at Ajax, boss Alfred Schreuder has kept the faith in Bassey with the defender starting every game since the opening day of the league season. Criticism has emerged following back-to-back heavy defeats against Napoli.
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