Rangers transfer scouting: Robin Propper's profile analysed

Propper, 30, has spent his entire career in the Netherlands and replaces the recently departed Connor Goldson. The 31-year-old joined Aris Limassol earlier this week following six years at Ibrox.

READ MORE: Check all the Rangers transfer news & rumours before the transfer window

The Dutchman will join former Twente teammate Vaclac Cerny in Glasgow who signed on a season-long loan from German club Wolfsburg last week. Capable of playing on the left and right of a centre-back partnership, Propper could feature on Saturday as Rangers travel to Tynecastle for their opening game of the 2024/25 season.

What type of player is Propper, why have Rangers recruited him to form the new spine of their defence and how will he fit in under Philippe Clement? The Rangers Review spent some time scouting the centre-back to find out… 

Propper will be 31 next month but is largely regarded as a late developer. While age is an important barometer in football, so too is the share of minutes played. For example, Propper has 349 appearances to his name across three clubs (De Graafschap, Heracles Almelo and Twente) while Goldson has 309 appearances for Rangers in the last six seasons alone. Arguably the best season of Propper’s career has just passed as he captained Twente to third place in the Eredivisie. Meanwhile, it would be commonly accepted the most recent season was Goldson’s worst in Glasgow.

Stylistically, Propper is a different type of defender when compared to the former Brighton man. Goldson’s consistency, availability and peak moments shouldn’t be overwritten because of a poor end to his career in Scotland. However, he has generally been a defender more comfortable in a block than when marking man-to-man in big spaces, spare an excellent Europa League run under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

Propper is a proactive defender who is comfortable moving into the space ahead of him - a key stylistic difference. While he can prove a little slow on the turn, the new arrival is happy to leave the confines of a back four and step into the midfield, closing spaces ahead of the defence aggressively. Clement’s style of play requires players to cover big distances and thrive in one-on-one duels. Propper is not a defender who needs extra cover at the back, but can instead venture forwards to prevent moves at source.

(Image: Wyscout)

(Image: Wyscout)

At times, as we’ll see in possession, the defender is too eager to use his right side. He’s a full-blooded player who can dive into the odd tackle and pay for the risks of jumping into midfield on occasion. 

However generally, his size and stature combined with a fairly mobile style for his frame enables Propper to get close to attackers and stop them from turning, even if the new signing is a quicker defender on his toes than heels. He's a solid, reliable individual at the heart of a defence. 

This is an important trait in possession under Clement, as Goldsom himself explained earlier this year when discussing the Belgian’s style. “The gaffer bangs on about when we are attacking our organisation behind the ball. I think we are so much less prone to counterattacks, we manage to play in waves and keep the ball in the opposition half. Being able to strangle teams when they come here.

“That's the way he wants to play, every time a ball is cleared it has to be us first and counterpress as quickly as we can. Then at home, he wants us to strangle teams and get them as far back as we can. Making sure we get wave after wave, we're limiting counterattacks and I think that was our problem before, we were conceding too many chances on the break.”

This is a strength Propper boasts. Again, given his comfort moving higher up the pitch he can join attacks and, in scenarios like the one below, help his side retain pressure and guard against counterattacks when the ball turns over instead of retreating. While Propper has the size and stature to be a box defender, a proactive, engaging style suits high-possession teams that want to play on the front foot.

Another important consideration, difficult to show in a frame or statistic, is the player’s leadership qualities having captained. As Clement looks to reinvigorate leadership the role Propper plays, given he captained Twente, will be important.

In the past two seasons in particular, Propper has played almost exclusively on the left side of the defence despite being a right-footer. While the 30-year-old can also operate from his natural side the decision to play Propper on the left has clearly been intentional at Twente. Often last season the Dutch side would build in a back three with Propper receiving in these types of areas and a full-back, Sampsted, inverting from the right.

(Image: Wyscout)

Why? Although likely motivated in part by a desire to play young centre-back Mees Hilgers on his natural side, Propper has fulfilled an important role in possession for Twente. Starting on the left offers superior angles to cut through the opposition's press, attempt diagonals or escape pressure by finding the left full-back. Tasked with setting the tempo in possession, Propper is comfortable receiving the ball under pressure and either switching the play, finding the free man or using his left foot to go over the press. It's common to see him open his body to receive on the left before pushing off past a marker with his right foot.

Although, as will be elaborated upon, passes from the defender's weaker side carry far less finesse than his right. Propper will often trigger the opposition's press by playing a bounce pass before receiving possession again. When able to open up his body and play against the press, he is skilled at finding the free man on the far side, playing against the opposition’s momentum.

Clement wants his teams to attack quickly and often directly. In the build-up phase, we’re used to seeing full-backs wide by the touchline and a front four stretched across the top of the pitch. There’s crossover, therefore, in not only how FC Twente often build up to quickly find their wingers and forwards, but also Propper’s role in dictating that phase.

Of course, at times playing a right-footer on the left can act as a pressing trigger for the opposition to trap teams inside the pitch. Generally, Propper’s experience means he can hold onto the ball in the right moments even if unable to progress it himself. The experienced stopper will need a left-back capable of ‘escaping’ from pressure in the build-up, which is something both Ridvan Yilmaz and Jefte are able to do.

(Image: Wyscout)

(Image: Wyscout)

Here’s a good example of Propper manipulating Feyennoord’s press on the left side of the defence in the build-up to the opening goal in Twente's 2-1 win last season. Initially, when he has the ball, aiming to play down the right, there’s no free pass. Propper moves to the left and plays a one-two before dropping deep, which invites the opposition forward and creates a free man on the far side. Propper then glides back infield before wrapping a pass through the lines, which creates the opening for Twente’s first goal of the game.

It’s important to stress that Propper could play his Rangers career on the right of a centre-back pairing. Clinton Nsiala and Benn Davies are both left-footed while John Souttar and Leon Balogun also played the majority of their minutes on that side last season. Goldson has been the constant figure on the right side of defence since 2018.

That would negate some weaknesses in possession. When trapped on his left side Propper can be prone to losing the ball but as reiterated throughout, he’s been entrusted to play on that side at Twente for a reason. Diagonal passes can still be effective from the right, where Propper wouldn't be trapped on his weak foot. Clement’s football was criticised at points last season for how direct play became back-to-front - a balance Rangers must strike this season. 

Rangers have secured a natural defender to replace Goldson, and one who is perhaps better suited to the football Clement wants to play. Propper is more comfortable inviting pressure on the ball and thus creating space elsewhere, has the size and stature required in Scotland and is more of a proactive than reactive defender. With so many crucial games around the corner at Ibrox, those qualities look set to be tested early into the latest stage of his career.