Aston Villa have not had the strongest Premier League season so far from a defensive point of view, as they have conceded 10 goals from their opening six games of the campaign.
To put that into perspective, only three clubs have conceded more in the division.
Looking back to the previous summer transfer window, one player that was linked with a move to Villa Park that could have helped the club be a tighter side at the back that Steven Gerrard will now be regretting not getting through the door is Calvin Bassey.
It was reported back in May that the Midlands club were closing in on securing a deal for the defender from his previous club Rangers, before eventually making his way to Ajax in July in a deal worth a reported fee of just under £23m.
Since joining the Dutch club, the 22-year-old has made six appearances for his new side across all competitions.
Interestingly, in the four league games he’s appeared in this season, those are the only matches that Ajax have managed to keep a clean sheet in.
His first Champions League appearance this season saw the defender once again keep a clean sheet, which happened to be against his previous club, who signed Bassey under Gerrard’s reign back in 2020.
To further highlight his defensive talent, only Edson Alvarez (2.6) has a higher average of clearances per game in the Eredivisie than the former Villa target (2.3).
That average would also put him second in Villa’s list for the same statistic behind Tyrone Mings (5.3).
Having had his performance in last season’s Europa League final lauded as “astonishing” by BT Sport pundit, Owen Hargreaves, this showcases how much of a capable figure Bassey is for his age playing at a very high level.
With all of that in mind, it could be safe to assume that Gerrard may now be having regrets at not being able to bring his former Rangers player to England with him when he had the chance, as Bassey’s clear defensive talent could have helped Villa from conceding as many goals as they have done so far this season.
