Forget Carlos: AVFC must now seal swoop for "astonishing" £25m star, Gerrard needs him - opinion

Aston Villa have reportedly exited the race to sign Rangers defender Calvin Bassey following the signing of Sevilla centre-back Diego Carlos.

That’s according to TEAMtalk, who claim that Villa are likely to be out of the race for the Nigerian, who can play at both left-back and centre-back, having signed the Brazilian for £26m.

It is believed that Rangers value the 22-year-old at a figure in excess of £25m, having been a vital cog in Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side this term with the Glasgow outfit winning the Scottish Cup and reaching the final of the Europa League.

Even though the West Midlands outfit have already made an exciting signing at the back in Carlos, that shouldn’t halt their pursuit of Bassey.

It’s no secret that Villa boss Steven Gerrard is planning an overhaul of his squad this summer with the upcoming transfer window the 41-year-old’s first summer window in charge at Villa Park.

Having managed Bassey at Rangers, the Englishman is reportedly keen on a reunion with the former Leicester City youth product, who BT Sport pundit Owen Hargreaves claimed to be “astonishing.”

The Villans proved inconsistent throughout the campaign, with the 3-2 defeat to Manchester City on the final day of the Premier League season a good example of how the entire campaign has gone for Aston Villa.

Having been 2-0 up with 15 minutes to go after an excellent display, a capitulation saw Gerrard’s men concede three goals in five minutes to lose the match.

Finishing 14th, NSWE will be planning for their side to enjoy a more successful campaign next term with the Villans finishing 17th, 11th and now 14th since returning to the Premier League.

It’s been 11 years since Villa last secured finished a top-half finish in the top flight and