Rangers Sign Kelsy and Bouanani as Scottish Window Closes

Rangers completed a double swoop on deadline day, buying Venezuelan striker Kevin Kelsy from Portland Timbers and taking Algerian winger Badredine Bouanani on loan from Stuttgart.

Rangers ended a frenetic Scottish transfer window by confirming the arrivals of two international forwards, taking their total summer additions to 14 and signalling serious ambition heading into the new campaign.

Kelsy brings MLS pedigree and raw power

Kevin Kelsy, a 22-year-old Venezuelan striker, has joined the Ibrox club on a permanent basis for an undisclosed fee, signing a four-year contract with the option of a further year. Standing at 6ft 4in and left-footed, the powerfully built forward brings an unusual physical profile to the Scottish Premiership.

Kelsy began his career at Mineros de Guayana in Venezuela before moving to Boston River in Uruguay. He then spent two title-winning seasons with Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine, netting nine goals in 37 appearances, before Major League Soccer came calling. A loan spell at FC Cincinnati in April 2024 yielded six goals in 23 outings, convincing Portland Timbers to sign him on a four-year deal in January 2025.

The striker has hit the ground running in MLS this season, registering 10 goals and three assists in 16 appearances for Portland, who currently sit 11th in the Western Conference. Across his 63 appearances in the competition to date, he has scored 19 goals and provided five assists. He also holds six senior international caps for Venezuela.

The move represents a calculated piece of recruitment. Rangers have identified a striker with proven goal-scoring form in a competitive environment, still at the age where his best football is very much ahead of him.

Bouanani adds European experience on loan

Alongside the permanent acquisition of Kelsy, Rangers have also secured the season-long loan of Badredine Bouanani from Stuttgart, the Bundesliga club that finished fourth in Germany last season.

The 21-year-old Algerian international winger joined Stuttgart from Nice just over a year ago for a reported £13 million, having come through the youth academy at Lille, the city of his birth. He previously had a loan spell at Lorient and played for France at youth level before committing his international future to Algeria in 2023.

Despite the significant fee Stuttgart paid for his services, Bouanani managed only nine starts and 13 substitute appearances last season and has not featured for the club at all this campaign. For Rangers, there is an obvious opportunity to offer him consistent playing time and restore his confidence.

There is also a hint of added context to his arrival. Bouanani was part of the Nice side that suffered a 4-1 Europa League defeat to Rangers under Philippe Clement two years ago, and he started Stuttgart's 1-0 home loss to Celtic in last season's Europa League play-off — a tie Celtic ultimately won on aggregate to progress.

A window of significant ambition

Fourteen new arrivals across a single transfer window is a statement of intent from any club. Rangers will be expected to challenge strongly for the Scottish Premiership title and compete effectively in European competition, and the depth added to the squad across the summer reflects that.

Kelsy and Bouanani offer different qualities — physicality and finishing ability in the case of the Venezuelan, craft and directness from the Algerian — and their respective profiles suggest genuine thought has gone into how the side is being assembled rather than simply bringing in numbers.

Whether the sheer volume of new faces can be integrated quickly enough to hit the ground running will be the key question as the Scottish season gets under way.

Frequently asked

Where did Rangers sign Kevin Kelsy from?: Rangers signed Kevin Kelsy on a permanent deal from Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer. The Venezuelan striker had joined Portland in January 2025 after leaving Shakhtar Donetsk.
Who is Badredine Bouanani and why has he joined Rangers?: Badredine Bouanani is a 21-year-old Algerian winger who joined Rangers on a season-long loan from Stuttgart. Despite costing the German club a reported £13 million when signed from Nice, he struggled for regular starts and Rangers have taken him on loan to give him consistent playing time.
How many signings have Rangers made this summer?: Including Kelsy and Bouanani, Rangers have made 14 summer signings in total before the Scottish transfer window closed on Thursday.