“23 million is still way too much”, – says former Inter Milan star who is not convinced by Bassey’s recent excellence

Calvin Bassey made a swoop to the Eredivisie league last summer, but he has been the subject of debate since his move

Calvin Bassey’s recent excellence for Dutch side Ajax FC has not thrilled former Ajax hero Wesley Sneijder.

The Nigerian international left Rangers FC last summer for an estimated £23 million after his impressive play caught Ajax’s attention.

Nevertheless, his shaky start has drawn criticism from all corners of the Netherlands, including Ajax legend Sneijder, who questioned the sum spent to secure his signature.

He has recently begun to attract new fans for his brilliance for the Amsterdam-based team, for which he was awarded the Man Of The Match award in their close 1-nil win against NEC.

Despite this, Sneijder commented on the Veronica Offside broadcast that Ajax went excessively deep into their wallets to gain Bassey’s signature.

“He can defend,” he admits, according to Ajaxshowtime.

The 38-year-old added: “I still think 23 million is too much. He plays at Ajax, so he must be able to play football. He might be fantastic for another league, but he will only work if you are always free and you have to make the play from the back.”

Based on his on-field performance, the 134-cap Netherlands international suggests that Bassey can turn the ball in quicker.

“He has to find a middle ground in turning the balls in a bit quicker,

“That is also a quality if you realise you must hand it in quickly because otherwise, it can go wrong,” he said.

As his side visits To Lenstra Stadion to play SC Heerenveen, the Nigerian will be hoping to perform better and disprove his naysayers.