Portland Timbers agree club-record transfer with Rangers: Biggest deal in 26 years

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Tom Weber | Writer

Rangers are set to complete at least two more incoming transfers ahead of next week's deadline.

The Gers have strongly backed new manager Derek McInnes this summer, but this investment has yet to bear fruit. Despite spending more than €20 million on new signings, the Ibrox club have only won two of their six games so far in this nascent season.

These two victories have come in the past two games, though, so things might finally be looking up. Whatever the case, Rangers are far from finished with their summer business - even with 11 new faces already through the door.

According to Sky Sports, the Glasgow giants are set to sign Portland Timbers striker Kevin Kelsy and Girona winger Kim Min-Su as part of a €21 million double whammy shortly.

The latter has already arrived in the UK to complete his medical and transfer paperwork. The deal is set to cost just shy of €10m. Primarily a left-winger, the 20-year-old South Korean can also play on the right and centrally.

Rangers agree major Kelsy deal

The more high-profile deal is the one they have now agreed with the Timbers for Kelsy. Rangers and their American owners have evidently realised the value that can be found in Major League Soccer.

The Venezuela international is set to become the club's second signing from MLS this summer, following the €3.5m acquisition of Philadelphia Union defender Olwethu Makhanya.

Rangers will pay more than €11 million ($13m) for the 22-year-old, as per The Athletic, which not only makes him a new record sale for the Timbers (Evander fetched $12m when he joined Cincinnati last year), but he will also become the most expensive signing for the Ibrox club in 26 years.

The €18m signing of Tore Andre Flo from Chelsea in 2000 is still Rangers' record transfer, but Kelsy will overtake Michael Ball as second on that list. The latter cost €10m when he was signed from Everton in 2001.

Kelsy is in the midst of a real breakout year. He has already bettered his career-best goal return for a season after bagging 10 in 22 games across all competitions in 2026.

The forward previously failed to establish himself at Shakhtar Donetsk and spent time at Cincinnati in 2024 before joining the Timbers for €6m in early 2025. He scored nine goals in 37 games last year.

Portland initially did not want to sell Kelsy this summer and rejected Rangers' opening bid, but the money on offer was ultimately too good to turn down.