Calvin Bassey and the Rangers transfer clue hiding in plain sight as Steven Gerrard's intentions made clear

Ambitious Aston Villa are set to step up their pursuit of £40m-rated Sevilla central defender Diego Carlos in the coming weeks.

And they reportedly view looming Burnley free agent James Tarkowski as a back-up option amid their pursuit to bolster their backline before next season.

But in-demand Calvin Bassey is not credited in The Athletic's report which states Steven Gerrard has held internal talks about putting together a defence with which to be reckoned.

The lack of a namecheck for the Nigeria international might be sweet relief to followers of Rangers but it could also hint to how the Ibrox star would be used if sold by the Scottish Cup winners.

Bassey has thrived centrally in both a three and four at the back, but his rampaging style makes him an obvious candidate to challenge left-back Lucas Digne for game time.

His positional versatility is one of his calling cards and will likely challenge for multiple roles at any potential next club – much like he does under Gio van Bronckhorst's stewardship.

Villa's interest in the former Leicester defender is likely separate from the pursuit of Carlos and Tarkowski, who both operate solely as central defenders.

The aforementioned pair aren't short of suitors either with the Sevilla defender previously on Newcastle's radar and the latter craved by Everton.

Gerrard is a major fan of the player he brought to Glasgow for a nominal fee from the Foxes but is acutely aware it will take a record sale to prise him away from Ibrox.

Rangers will aim to keep hold of a player who is also understood to be on the radar of a number of clubs in England.

But the latest update in Gerrard's intentions likely add rather than detract the value of a player who grabbed everyone's attention in