Robin Propper came to Rangers expecting a foreign adventure which would make him stronger as a defender.
But after a rough old season in Glasgow, the Netherlands centre-back is increasingly expected to leave Ibrox having become a stronger man.
The Rangers jersey weighs heavy on most but for Robin Propper, the 31-year-old defender never quite seemed mentally prepared for the rigours of Ibrox.
A nervous presence at the heart of the Rangers defence, Propper has been linked with the Ibrox exit door ahead of a summer of substantial change.
And FC Twente have just been told they’ve never replaced the defender, as images of the centre-back in Holland spark rumours surrounding Propper’s future.
FC Twente ‘yet to replace Rangers defender Robin Propper’
FC Twente were scorned when Rangers activated a release clause to sign Robin Propper in the summer.
The defender was a key player at the Eredivisie club but the temptation of a first move out of the Netherlands proved too much for the ex-Heracles defender.
But what was positioned as a dream £1.5m switch soon turned into a nightmare and Propper has struggled to find consistency in Glasgow.
By the same token, Twente haven’t been the same since Propper left with Dutch journalist Sjoerd Keizer urging Twente sporting director to finally replace the centre-back this summer.
”(Bruggink) actually still has to replace Propper,” Keizer told Voetbal International. “He actually gets better the longer he’s gone. They really need a leader.
“(Mees) Hilgers is a really good player, but he does need someone next to him. I would have thought (Mike) Eerdhuijzen was a good footballer for Twente, but he’s going to Utrecht. Such a strong, robust defender is a bit like Propper.”
Rangers defender Robin Propper spotted back in Enschede
At the same time, Robin Propper has been spotted back in the Netherlands, specifically in the city of Enschede.
This is the hometown of FC Twente, who are named after the river which flows through the city.
In a photograph uploaded to X by one Twente fan, Propper is welcomed into a restaurant in Enschede after the curtain came down on the Ibrox club’s season.
Whilst the photograph offers no clue to the reasons behind Propper’s visit, with the defender now on post-season leave, it has got chins wagging.
6th-placed Twente are set to finish their Eredivisie season away to AZ Alkmaar and Propper’s presence in the Netherlands will give rise to rumours that he could be set to return to Holland.
It’s clear that Twente have a need to recruit a new centre-back and if a deal is there to be done, we don’t expect Rangers to be difficult to deal with.
Rangers have been linked to a number of centre-back options heading into the summer, with Ipswich Town’s Cameron Burgess and Estoril’s Kevin Boma heavily linked.
