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Ajax sporting director Gerry Hamstra has openly admitted the €27m fee it took to prise Calvin Bassey away from Rangers was a touch expensive for the Dutch champions’ tastes, reports Megasportsarena.com.
Bassey, who was bought from Leicester City for a ‘paltry’ £750,000, joins the club made popular in Nigeria by Nwankwo Kanu, Finidi George and Tijani Babangida.
But there’s a reason they splashed such a significant fee – Bassey’s elite-level potential.
The four-time Champions League winners are certain they can reap the benefits of the former Leicester City youth’s accelerated development.
Their plan is ambitious given the sums involved, but given Hamstra is happy to draw parallels with the likes of Jaap Stam and Virgil van Dijk, it’s no surprise they pushed the boat out.
Hamstra: “Calvin got into professional football late at Leicester City. From there, like Jaap Stam and Virgil van Dijk did a bit in the past – he fought his way up. Calvin is an open personality and he has really taken off at Rangers.
“We are getting one of the stars of the Europa League final. At first, he played at left-back but then Giovanni van Bronckhorst put him in the centre. He is a boy who has made great strides in a short time. We are in a situation at the club where a lot of players have gone.
“We looked at potential and got a player for more than we would normally pay – because he had to be a Champions League-worthy replacement. The one-on-one replacements simply cost a little more than the guys for the future. Ultimately, you have ambitions. You want to become champion and take the next step in Europe.”
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