‘Just not performing’: Rangers may have got lucky escape with £6m man in ‘poor’ form
Gijs Smal’s poor form at FC Twente is doing little to suggest that Rangers should have brought the out-of-sorts Dutchman to the Scottish Premiership during the winter window.
The left-back was still enjoying the success of his outstanding 2022–23 season when he was linked to a move to Ibrox more than a month ago.
Gijs Smal finished the Eredivisie with ten assists, more than any other player.
Ridvan Yilmaz appeared certain to go at the moment as well; 
after failing to unseat Borna Barisic at Ibrox, the Turkey international appeared free to go.
When we fast-forward to late February, both players’ circumstances have significantly changed.
One of Rangers’ best players during the Christmas break has been Yilmaz.
So much so that it was unexpected when Philippe Clement shuffled his pack for Sunday’s 3-0 victory at St Johnstone, bringing back Barisic.
But when FC Twente’s dull 1-0 home loss to Utrecht ended with Gijs Smal being hauled off after just 65 minutes, there were significantly less surprised looks in Enschede.
Gijs Smal finds it difficult to defend Rangers’ interest.
Smal has not scored or assisted on a goal in 2023–24, despite registering 14 goals or assists in the previous season.
Even though Smal did miss the opening part of the season due to a calf injury,
he has now returned to first-team play for four months.
It is no longer acceptable to use a lack of match fitness as an excuse;
the Twente Inside website calls his current form “poor.”
With his contract expiring and the Dutchman doing little to warrant an offer of new terms,
the once-£6 million-rated Smal is now facing the possibility of being moved out of De Grolsch Veste for no reason, according to Leon ten Voorde,
a Dutch reporter who specializes in all things FC Twente.
Ten Voorde tells TC Tubantia, “After his injury, Small deserves a lot of credit.
” “However, you have to watch your step if you don’t want to resign,
if you’re simply not playing, and if another left-back was brought in during the winter break.”
The challenge for Smal currently comes from Anass Salah-Eddine.
Prior to moving from Ajax to Twente in January, he was also connected to Rangers.
Ten Voorde continues, “You can consider,
‘Maybe we should definitely be looking at someone else,
‘ if you don’t want to resign and you are not performing.”
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