Rangers sign Kevin Kelsy for record fee and add Badredine Bouanani on loan as Scottish window closes
Rangers signed Venezuela striker Kevin Kelsy from Portland Timbers for a fee of $13 million plus add-ons, making him the most expensive outgoing transfer in the American club's history (The Guardian; ESPN). The deal was confirmed as the Scottish transfer window closed on Thursday, alongside a season-long loan for Algeria winger Badredine Bouanani from Stuttgart (BBC Sport).
Kelsy, 22, has signed a four-year contract with the option of an additional year at Ibrox. Portland retained a sell-on clause — meaning they pocket a percentage of any future transfer fee Rangers receive for the player. Rangers manager Derek McInnes had told reporters on the Wednesday evening before the window shut that the club was "very close" to completing the deal (ESPN).
The two arrivals took Rangers' summer additions to 14, a significant reshaping of the squad under McInnes (BBC Sport).
Kelsy is a 6ft 4in (1.93m) left-footed striker — the kind of physical profile that gives centre-backs a long, uncomfortable afternoon. He started his career with Mineros de Guayana in his homeland, then moved to Boston River in Uruguay, before Shakhtar Donetsk signed him in Ukraine. He won two league titles with Shakhtar, scoring nine goals in 37 appearances.
Shakhtar sold him to Portland in January 2025, and Kelsy's time in Major League Soccer was brief but productive. He managed 10 goals and three assists in 16 appearances this season, a strike rate that attracted attention from European clubs — Rangers won the race. Across his senior career, he has played 63 times, scoring 19 goals and registering five assists.
Portland were sitting 11th in the Western Conference and 17th overall in MLS when the transfer was completed. The fee represents a significant return on a player they signed just over 18 months earlier.
Bouanani, the other half of Thursday's double announcement, arrives on a season-long loan from German side Stuttgart. The Algeria international gives McInnes an additional wide option — a player comfortable running at defenders and stretching the pitch.
For Rangers fans, the closing hours of the window delivered exactly what supporters look for: a statement signing up front and a creative addition out wide. Kelsy will not feature in Rangers' immediate next match (The Guardian), meaning supporters will have to wait a little longer to see whether his prolific MLS form translates to the demands of Scottish football. The hope at Ibrox is that it does, and that a 22-year-old with title-winning experience in Ukraine can become the focal point of a side rebuilt from top to bottom this summer.
