According to RTV Oost journalist Thijmen van Wissing in the program De Oosttribune, Heracles Almelo attempted to sign Bas Kuipers from FC Twente prior to the start of this season. The journalist reported that the left back was the club's first choice but was unattainable. After this attempt was unsuccessful, Heracles Almelo then signed Djevencio van der Kust from Sparta Rotterdam. The 31-year-old Dutch defender joined Twente in July 2024 and is under contract until June 2028. In the 2025/2026 Eredivisie season, he has made 6 appearances. Kuipers has three caps for the Netherlands U21 team, and his current market value is estimated by Transfermarkt to be €900k.