Former Rangers assistant manager Michael Beale insists that Calvin Bassey is happy at Ibrox - but his club could be powerless if a big bid comes in for his services.
The recently appointed QPR boss has watched the former Leicester City defender's development with glee as he goes from strength to strength, his outstanding performances in both Europa League and Scottish Cup finals attracting interest from English Premier League sides like Aston Villa.
It's reported by the Daily Record that Bassey is happy in Scotland's Premiership but his former coach reckons that a big bid for players like him or Joe Aribo - who's said to be a Nottingham Forest target - could prove too much: "I think the key thing for the staff there is to have the conveyor belt in place. I think the cross-border thing really helped in terms of taking a player like [Calvin Bassey] for just over £200,000. The same with Joe Aribo.
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“Having the conveyor belt in place is really important. That conveyor belt can come through your own academy, like a Nathan Patterson, or it can come from outside.
"But it’s important when players come and they reach a selling point… With the TV money, it’s the same in the Championship as it is for Glasgow Rangers. You have to sell at the right time.
“If the money being bandied about for Calvin is actually a reality then what a return on your investment that is. On a selfish side I’d like to see him continue because I know he’s having a lovely time.
"I think it’s a really hard place to leave, albeit that to be sustainable – exactly the same as we are at QPR – you have to develop players on.
"If those players then have people coming after them, it means the team must have done well because the team is the vehicle.”
Bassey is on a summer break ahead of Rangers getting back together for a first pre-season with boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
They kick off their Premiership campaign in July against Livingston and there's also Champions League qualifiers to look forward to.
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