Rangers Deadline Day Drama: Kelsy Signed and Bouanani Close
What was supposed to be a tidy, controlled finish to Rangers’ window has exploded into a full‑scale reshaping of Derek McInnes’ squad.
By early afternoon, the big one was over the line. Kevin Kelsy is a Rangers player.
Kelsy deal done – and it’s huge
The Venezuelan striker’s move from Portland Timbers had dragged just long enough to make supporters twitchy, but MLS insider Tom Bogert has put that to bed. Speaking to Soccerwise HQ, he confirmed the transfer is complete: a £9.5 million fee plus add-ons heading to Portland in what he described as “a huge deal for the Portland Timbers.”
The delay, understood to be tied to Kelsy’s share of the transfer fee, is now resolved. He had already travelled to Europe several days ago, and with the Scottish window open until Thursday evening, Rangers have secured the man they earmarked as Youssef Chermiti’s replacement.
Chermiti’s ACL injury against Hibs ripped a hole in McInnes’ plans and his forward line. Kelsy has been the chosen answer for weeks. Now he’s in the building.
McInnes had initially expected Kelsy to be the final incoming. The market, and Rangers’ ambition, have other ideas.
Bouanani on the brink
The “one other little thing” McInnes teased after the win over Falkirk has a name now: Badredine Bouanani.
The Stuttgart winger looked set for Strasbourg, but Rangers have muscled their way to the front of the queue. The Algerian has already travelled to Scotland and is undergoing his medical as the club races the clock to complete a loan move that carries an option to buy worth around €18 million.
That figure would represent a serious statement. If activated, it could even push the boundaries of Scottish transfer records.
Bouanani is no stranger to Ibrox. He scored for Nice in that 4-1 Europa League win over Philippe Clement’s Rangers in 2024, a night that stung the home support and showcased his talent on their own turf. A switch to Stuttgart followed, but his next act could now be in Glasgow, with Rangers securing not just a short-term spark but the possibility of a long-term asset.
Bajraktarevic in the frame
Rangers are not stopping at one winger.
Esmir Bajraktarevic has emerged as another live option on deadline day, with the club in talks with PSV over a possible deal for the 21-year-old US-born Bosnian international. Scott Burns has reported that the wide man is firmly on the Ibrox radar.
Bajraktarevic only joined PSV from New England Revolution in January 2025 and is under contract in Eindhoven until 2029. That hasn’t deterred Rangers’ recruitment team, with Dan Purdy understood to be heavily involved in the groundwork.
Dutch journalist Rik Elfrink has stated the player “could still leave” PSV, but Rangers are not alone in their interest. Any move from Glasgow will need to move quickly and decisively if they want to win that race.
No way back for Cerny
One name can now be scrubbed from the list.
Vaclav Cerny, previously linked with a return to Ibrox, will not be coming back. The Czech winger’s wages and his reluctance to walk away from Besiktas and the favourable tax conditions in Turkey have effectively killed off the prospect of another Rangers spell.
That forces McInnes to keep his focus firmly on Bouanani, Bajraktarevic and other external options as he looks to inject fresh quality into his wide areas.
Aasgaard heads out as exits clear space
While the front door stays busy, the back door has been swinging too.
Thelo Aasgaard has joined Anderlecht on loan with a €6 million purchase clause, following Connor Barron and Lyall Cameron out of the Rangers squad on temporary deals. Aasgaard, who had also attracted interest from Bodo/Glimt, will spend the season in Belgium, where he links up with former Rangers teammate Oliver Antman, another summer departure from Ibrox.
Barron has sealed a move to Middlesbrough, while Cameron has joined Dundee United for the season. Three young players, three loans, and crucially for McInnes, three squad slots and wage lines freed up as he remodels his options.
Nsiala nears Cyprus switch
Clinton Nsiala is next in line for the exit.
The defender is expected to join Pafos on loan, where he would team up with former Brazil and Chelsea defender David Luiz. There has also been interest from Bursaspor, but the Cypriot move is currently the most advanced.
It’s another example of Rangers trimming around the edges of the squad to allow McInnes to go harder in key positions.
McCausland, Souttar and Munn in shop window
Ross McCausland is available for a loan move, with Bursaspor again among the clubs keen on the winger. John Souttar is also in play. MLS sides have shown interest in the Scotland international, and several Scottish Premiership clubs are weighing up a loan move before the deadline.
In goal, Mason Munn is another candidate for a temporary switch. The Northern Irish keeper has slipped down the pecking order since Ivor Pandur’s arrival and now sits behind Pandur, Liam Kelly and teenager Rydnn McGuire.
Munn’s spells at Dunfermline and Forfar last season never quite caught fire. A fresh loan is being lined up to give him the regular first-team football he needs if he is to force his way back into the long-term picture at Ibrox.
Miovski and Cifuentes stay put
Not everyone linked with a move away will go.
Bojan Miovski now looks increasingly likely to remain at Rangers beyond the deadline. Interest from Feyenoord, LASK and Genclerbirligi has cooled, leaving the striker set to continue under McInnes unless a late bid arrives from Greece or another league with a longer window.
Jose Cifuentes will also stay, at least until January. The midfielder is still working his way back from surgery following his loan spell at Toronto FC and is not expected to move before this window closes.
Raskin saga swings back to Rangers
The most dramatic subplot belongs to Nicolas Raskin.
Besiktas pushed hard for the Belgian midfielder, first with a loan proposal including an option to buy, then with a straight €12 million offer. Rangers walked away from the loan structure and have now rejected the permanent bid as well.
Raskin, who missed the matchday squads against Jablonec and Aberdeen, returned to the team against Falkirk just as the speculation around his future peaked. McInnes has been unwavering in his public stance.
“Nico has been first class,” the Rangers manager said. “Since he’s come back from the World Cup, he’s been good as gold, trained brilliantly.
There has been a lot of chat with potential interest and a lot of conversation had with the club with prospective buyers.
But until an offer comes in that the club needs to consider, then Nico just has to knuckle down and train.
He’s been brilliant, and I have no doubts if the window closes and Nico is still a Rangers player, then he will give brilliant service as he has previously.”
As things stand, that is exactly how it looks. Raskin stays, Besiktas walk away empty-handed, and McInnes keeps a midfielder he trusts at the heart of his plans.
Final hours, high stakes
So the picture at Ibrox has shifted sharply from the calm McInnes once anticipated.
Kelsy is in, a £9.5 million centrepiece to the summer rebuild. Bouanani is closing on a loan with a towering €18 million option to buy. Bajraktarevic remains in the frame as Rangers weigh up one last attacking thrust.
On the other side of the ledger, Aasgaard, Barron and Cameron have gone to open up space, Nsiala is close to a move to Pafos, and the likes of McCausland, Souttar and Munn are available for late deals.
The Scottish transfer window shuts at 5pm on Thursday. What was shaping up as a quiet, procedural deadline day has turned into something else entirely.
The question now is simple: will Rangers stop at bold, or push all the way to record-breaking?
