Rangers look set to offload Dutch defender Robin Propper after less than 12 months at Ibrox.
The defender was brought in last summer by former Manager Phillipe Clement and recently departed Technical Director Nils Koppen from Eredivisie side FC Twente but endured an inconsistent season in Scotland and rumours are abound he is set for a return to his former club.
Signing on the first day of August last year Propper was highly regarded and was expected to form a sturdy defensive partnership with incumbent John Souttar, but these expectations were quickly irradicated when it became apparent the defender was ill-suited to the physical demands of Scottish football.
The signs were clear from the off, arriving to much fanfare his debut was delayed due to him needing to move to the country with ex-boss Clement saying, “People don't realise that, but if a player comes into the building these days when you come to the UK there is a lot of work to be done”. Fans did not buy it and when the team went crashing out to Dynamo Kyiv in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers, the knives were already out.
His debut eventually came at our temporary Hampden home on August 10 and Propper found the net, but unfortunately it was his own, as he diverted a Motherwell cross past Jack Butland in a 2-1 win for the Gers.
An abject Old Firm initiation followed as he was all over the place in a 3-0 defeat and by October, he was already out the starting lineup and would never regain a regular spot again, making 43 appearances from the clubs 58 games last season across all competitions.
There were some positives, a goal in the New Year’s Old Firm derby against Celtic and some excellent showings in the Europa League but his skill set simply did not work in Scottish domestic football and his signing is the epitome of the poor recruitment of the last few years.
No doubt his move back to Holland and Twente will be a success as he has shone there throughout his previous career with Twente, De Graafschap and Heracles Almelo, but will Rangers be able to recoup the fee paid? That remains in doubt after a torrid year at Ibrox for the defender.
The Rangers Revolution starts now, out with the old and hopefully in with the new as the club look to build a solid defence for the first time since the heroics of Goldson and Helander during 55.