Leicester: Rodgers sold ‘monster’ talent for £230k, now he’s worth £19m
The young defender has impressed around Europe since leaving the Foxes in 2020
Over the last decade, Leicester City have been through one of the most incredible stories English football has ever seen.
From being promoted to the Premier League ahead of the 2014/15 season and avoiding relegation against all odds, to winning the league title the next season in one of the most unbelievable achievements in the history of top-flight football.
After several experiences in European football, Leicester would even win the FA Cup for the very first time in 2021. This success would, however, mark the beginning of the end for Leicester, who were struggling financially due to the Covid outbreak.
With the number of outgoings heavily outweighing new incomings, it was hardly a surprise to see Leicester struggle in the 2022/23 season, as they were relegated back to the Championship.
While some outgoings, such as Ben Chilwell and Wesley Fofana, brought huge amounts of money into the club, there were others that have since reflected poorly on the club, who never got their chance to impress in the first team.
Who has left Leicester City in recent years?
With the need for a financial boost, the Foxes turned to player sales to help them. After winning the FA Cup, star defender Ben Chilwell was one of the first names to go, with their opponents in the final, Chelsea, paying a sizable £50m fee for the full-back.
Another departure that summer was Demarai Gray, who left for a rather underwhelming £1.7m fee to German side Bayer Leverkusen, before returning to the Premier League a year later to join Everton.
In 2022, the club reluctantly sold promising defender Wesley Fofana, again to Chelsea for an irrefutable £70m, providing the club with important funds.
While a number of big names have left the club in recent years, Leicester have also let go some of their upcoming talents, some of which they may look back on with regret as one of the factors in their relegation was a result of lacking squad depth.
One player who left the Leicester setup and has gone on to achieve better things is Nigerian international defender, Calvin Bassey.
When did Leicester sell Calvin Bassey?
After coming through the ranks at Leicester, playing in both their U18 and U21 sides, Bassey was never given a chance to appear in the first team before his eventual departure.
In June 2020, Scottish side Rangers announced that they had agreed a pre-contract signing for Bassey, who was 20-years-old at the time. The compensation fee paid to Leicester was reported to be just £230k for the young defender.
The Scottish side’s manager at the time Steven Gerrard spoke highly of the Nigerian, saying:
“It’s pleasing to secure the services of another young talent. He’s a strong and dynamic athlete who is very much the modern-day full-back.”
Over the course of his debut season in Scotland, Bassey featured 15 times in all competitions, seven of those appearances coming in the league as Rangers went unbeaten and attained a club-record 102 points to win their first title in ten years.
What was next for Bassey?
After showing promising signs in his brief spells on the pitch over the 2020/21 season, the following season saw Bassey begin to cement his place in the first team for Rangers.
In all competitions, he played 50 times as Rangers won the Scottish Cup and made it to the Europa League final, where they were harshly beaten by Eintracht Frankfurt on penalties.
Bassey’s performances over the season stood out from left-back, and despite the loss in the Europa League final, he was one of the better players on the pitch, receiving praise online.
Football journalist Joshua Bunting took to Twitter to applaud his efforts, as he said: “Bassey has been a monster tonight, outstanding performance.”
In the summer of 2022, many top clubs around the continent were interested in the Rangers full-back, but it was European giants Ajax who landed the signing.
The Dutch outfit spent a club-record £23m on the defender, emphasising their trust in his potential to be a star.
Despite a disastrous debut, which saw him sent off after just 15 minutes of being brought on as a substitute, Bassey played the majority of the season in Amsterdam, under multiple managers. His versatility was important for the club, being able to play across the back line of defence.
Where is Calvin Bassey now?
After one season in Amsterdam, the 23-year-old gem had shown glimpses of the talent seen at Rangers, but new manager Maurice Steijn told Bassey “it would be better to leave Ajax,” as the club needed to raise funds.
Over the past summer window, Bassey made his return to England, three years after he left Leicester City. In July, Fulham agreed a £19m fee to sign the defender, recouping most of the money Ajax spent a year prior and an 8160.87% increase on what Rodgers let him go for three years ago.
| Transfer fees spent on Calvin Bassey | |
|---|---|
| Club | Transfer fee |
| Fulham (2023-) | £19m |
| Ajax (2022-2023) | £23m |
| Rangers (2020-2022) | £230k |
| Leicester (2016-2020) | £0 |
| Total | £42.2m |
Following his arrival, Bassey spoke of his delight to be back in his hometown, saying:
“They’re playing in the Premier League, the best league in the world, so I didn’t have to think much about it.
“It’s a London club as well, so it’s always a plus to be home.”
With Fulham spending a rather hefty fee on the player, it is clear they also see a future in the player.
Although his spell at Ajax may not have hit the levels expected of him, a move to a strong mid-table side in the Premier League is able to give Bassey the opportunity to prove himself in England’s top-flight after never getting his chance during his time at Leicester.
With his former club now residing in the Championship, perhaps the move to Rangers three years ago was pivotal to Bassey’s development as a player.
The move to Marco Silva’s exciting Fulham side is seemingly a great fit for the 6 foot 1 defender to make the next step in his career and solidify himself as a starting defender for a Premier League side.
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