Rangers have acquired forward Kevin Kelsy from Major League Soccer’s Portland Timbers, a source with direct knowledge of the deal told the Guardian on Wednesday. That source requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the agreement. The deal, worth $13m (£9.5m) – potentially more if Kelsy hits certain performance goals for Rangers – also includes a sell-on fee for the MLS club.The Athletic’s Tom Bogert first reported details of the deal on Wednesday morning.
Portland acquired Kelsy from Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk last January, paying $6m for the Venezuela international. The 22-year-old has been erratic but ultimately productive for the Timbers, scoring 16 times in 43 appearances.Rangers manager Derek McInnes has been vocal about wanting another striker before the end of the summer transfer window after losing Portuguese striker Youssef Chermiti to an ACL tear in early August. Portland had little intention of moving Kelsy this window, a source said this week, but the fee, a club record for an outgoing transfer, proved impossible to turn down. The Timbers already added a center forward this summer – former Tottenham and Monterrey striker Vincent Janssen – and may make other moves before the window closes.
