Rangers have agreed a deal to sign Venezuela international forward Kevin Kelsy from Portland Timbers, with the 22-year-old set to travel to Glasgow to complete the move.
The agreed fee stands at $13 million, equivalent to £9.5 million, plus add-ons and a sell-on percentage for the MLS club.
Personal terms have already been settled, and Kelsy will undergo a medical and finalise the transfer once his visa arrangements are in place.
The striker joined Portland for just under $6 million in January 2025 after departing Shakhtar Donetsk, and has since more than justified that investment.
Kelsy has notched 19 goals in 63 appearances for Portland, establishing himself as one of the standout attackers in Major League Soccer.
Standing 6ft 4in, he offers a physical presence that manager Derek McInnes has been actively seeking following Youssef Chermiti’s season-ending knee injury.
The £9.5 million outline fee places Kelsy straight into Ibrox history as Rangers’ second-most expensive signing of all time, behind only the acquisition of Tore Andre Flo from Chelsea for £12 million back in 2000.
Portland were reluctant to sell earlier in the transfer window but ultimately accepted an improved offer after Rangers returned with a series of raised bids.
Kelsy has earned six senior caps for Venezuela and has prior experience of European competition through his time with Shakhtar Donetsk.
The Kelsy deal is not the only significant business Rangers are pushing through before the window closes, with further attacking reinforcements on the horizon.
South Korean winger Kim Min-su is already in Glasgow after agreeing an £8.5 million move from Girona, addressing McInnes’s demand for extra quality in wide areas.
That move became a priority after a proposed transfer for Couhaib Driouech from PSV collapsed on medical grounds, leaving Rangers short of options out wide.
Together, the arrivals of Kelsy and Kim represent a significant late-window push to reshape the Rangers attack ahead of the Premiership title race and European fixtures.
The Scottish transfer window closes on September 3, and there are suggestions Rangers could yet add a defender and a midfielder should Nicolas Raskin’s departure be finalised.
