Steven Gerrard and the Calvin Bassey Rangers transfer clues hiding in plain sight during Aston Villa signing update

Bullish Steven Gerrard has laid out his signing policy for players arriving at Aston Villa this summer - and his demands could point to a move for Rangers star Calvin Bassey this summer.

Bassey was a standout for both club and country as he helped Rangers reach the Europa League final in Seville before lifting the Scottish Cup to round off an impressive campaign. The 22-year-old has also made his breakthrough on the international scene with the full-back earning rave reviews for his Nigeria performances during the African Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The impressive campaign has seen Bassey linked with a host of clubs from across Europe but Villa appear to be leading the race for his signature with Gerrard keen on a reunion in the English Premier League. However, it's unlikely Rangers will be in any rush to sell the defender and would hold out for a bumper £25million fee to sell.

But Gerrard may be pushing his board to splash the cash on the defender as he perfectly fits the profile of players he wants to add to the Villa Park dressing room. It's been a busy window so far for the former Ibrox boss, with Robert Olsen and Philippe Coutinho making their loan moves permanent, whilst Boubacar Kamara and Diego Carlos has joined from Marseille and Sevilla respectively.

However, he insists his work is far from done if he can land the right player. The Aston Villa gaffer told Sky Sports: "If you look at our four additions in the January window, they came from clubs that are used to the responsibility of pressure of winning,

"Lucas Digne at Barcelona, Philippe Coutinho at Barcelona and Bayern Munich. Robin Olsen, an international player with pedigree. Calum Chambers has been at Arsenal challenging for the top four.

"When you