Rangers Deadline Day Drama: Kelsy Signs and More Moves Loom
Rangers tear up the script as deadline day explodes into life at Ibrox. What looked like a tidy, almost conservative window is suddenly a high‑wire act of big-money bets, late medicals and a manager reshaping his squad on the fly.
And it all starts with Kevin Kelsy.
Kelsy deal lands – and it’s a statement
The Venezuelan striker is finally a Rangers player, the deal with Portland Timbers completed after days of anxious refreshing from supporters and a late wrinkle over the player’s share of the fee.
MLS reporter Tom Bogert confirmed what Rangers fans wanted to hear: the move is done. The numbers are heavy. Around £9.5 million plus add-ons heading to Portland, a huge sale for the MLS club and a serious outlay from Rangers.
This is no luxury signing. Kelsy arrives as the man asked to fill the void left by Youssef Chermiti, whose ACL injury against Hibs has ruled him out until well into the New Year. McInnes needed a focal point. Now he has paid for one.
The forward travelled to Europe several days ago, the final formalities dragging on just long enough to fray nerves around Ibrox. But the paperwork is now in place and the Venezuelan will walk into a dressing room being rapidly retooled around him.
McInnes had hinted Kelsy might be the last piece of the jigsaw. The market had other ideas.
Bouanani on the brink of a blockbuster loan
Rangers have moved aggressively for Badredine Bouanani, and the deal has gathered pace with the kind of urgency that defines a real deadline day.
The Stuttgart winger had been heading for Strasbourg. That path is now blocked. Rangers have muscled their way to the front of the queue and are closing in on a loan agreement that carries an option to buy worth around €18 million.
Bouanani is already in Scotland. The Algerian is undergoing his medical, with the clock ticking towards the 5pm Scottish deadline. If the final checks pass, McInnes will have landed a wide player he knows can hurt top-level opposition.
Rangers fans remember him all too well. Bouanani, then at Nice, scored in that bruising 4-1 Europa League win at Ibrox in 2024 against Philippe Clement’s side. Since then he has moved to Stuttgart, but the Bundesliga stint could now give way to a return to Glasgow.
The option-to-buy figure is eye-catching. At €18m, it would represent a major potential outlay and could become a Scottish record fee if Rangers choose to trigger it. For now, it’s a loan. In reality, it’s a test drive for a marquee signing.
McInnes hinted after the win over Falkirk that there might be “one other little thing” to come when he spoke to sporting director Jim Gillespie. That “little thing” looks anything but little now.
Bajraktarevic in the frame
Just as Bouanani edges closer, another winger sits firmly on Rangers’ radar.
Esmir Bajraktarevic, the US‑born Bosnian international, is in the mix as the club weigh up a second wide addition. Talks have taken place with PSV, where the 21‑year‑old is under contract until 2029 after joining from New England Revolution in January 2025.
Rangers have done their homework. Recruitment figure Dan Purdy is understood to have been heavily involved in the analysis and groundwork around the player, who has also drawn interest from elsewhere in Europe.
Dutch journalist Rik Elfrink has reported that Bajraktarevic “could still leave” PSV. That leaves the door open, but not for long. If Rangers want him, they will need to move quickly and decisively, with competition circling.
Bouanani may be the priority. Bajraktarevic is the insurance policy that could yet become something more.
No way back for Cerny
One name can be crossed off the list.
Vaclav Cerny, once again linked with a return to Ibrox, will not be coming back. A proposed move from Besiktas has effectively collapsed before it ever truly came to life.
The Czech winger’s salary in Turkey and his reluctance to leave a league where he benefits from favourable tax rules have closed that door. Rangers have accepted the reality and turned elsewhere as McInnes looks to reinforce his flanks.
Aasgaard heads out as the exits open
While the focus has been on who comes in, Rangers have quietly cleared space.
Thelo Aasgaard has joined Anderlecht on loan with a €6m purchase clause, following Connor Barron and Lyall Cameron out of McInnes’ immediate plans. Aasgaard, who had also drawn interest from Bodo/Glimt, will spend the season in Belgium and link up again with former Rangers teammate Oliver Antman, who left earlier in the summer.
Barron has completed his move to Middlesbrough. Cameron has gone to Dundee United for the season. Three young players, three fresh environments, and three squad slots freed up for McInnes to reshape his group.
The direction of travel is clear: trim the fringes, upgrade the core.
Nsiala bound for Cyprus
Clinton Nsiala is next in line for the departure lounge.
The defender is expected to join Pafos on loan, a move that would see him share a dressing room with former Brazil and Chelsea defender David Luiz. Turkish side Bursaspor have also shown interest, but the Cypriot switch is the most advanced and currently the likeliest outcome.
For Nsiala, it is a chance to play. For Rangers, it is another wage and squad place opened up as the club refine the options at the back.
McCausland, Souttar and Munn: futures in the balance
Ross McCausland is available for a loan move, with Bursaspor again among the suitors. The winger has drifted to the edge of McInnes’ plans, and a temporary switch could offer the regular minutes he will not get at Ibrox in the short term.
John Souttar is another who could yet leave before the deadline. MLS sides have registered interest, while several Scottish Premiership clubs are monitoring the situation and could move if the numbers align. A loan remains the most realistic route.
In goal, Mason Munn is also on the market for a loan. The Northern Irish keeper has slipped down the pecking order following the arrival of Ivor Pandur and now sits behind Pandur, Liam Kelly and teenage prospect Rydnn McGuire.
Spells at Dunfermline and Forfar last season did not develop as hoped. A better-chosen loan this time would give Munn the chance to finally string together the first‑team minutes he needs.
Miovski and Cifuentes stay put
Not everyone is heading for the exit.
Bojan Miovski looks increasingly likely to remain at Rangers beyond the deadline. Potential moves to Feyenoord, LASK and Genclerbirligi have all faded, leaving the striker set to stay unless a late offer emerges from Greece or another league with a longer window.
Jose Cifuentes will also stay put, at least until January. The midfielder is still working his way back from surgery after his loan spell with Toronto FC. With his recovery ongoing and no deal in place, he will remain at Ibrox for the first half of the season.
Raskin saga swings back to Rangers
The most dramatic subplot surrounds Nicolas Raskin.
Besiktas pushed hard, first with a proposed loan including an option to buy, then with a straight €12m offer. Rangers have rejected both, pulling out of the loan structure and then turning down the permanent bid.
Raskin’s future has been the subject of intense speculation in recent days, not least when he missed two matchday squads against Jablonec and Aberdeen. His return to the team against Falkirk signalled a shift. The club’s stance has now confirmed it.
McInnes has been consistent in public. He wants Raskin to stay.
“Nico has been first class,” the 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.
A frantic finish at Ibrox
The landscape at Ibrox has shifted sharply from McInnes’ early belief that Kelsy would be the final incoming.
The Venezuelan is through the door, Portland banking around £9.5m plus add-ons. Bouanani is closing in on a loan with an €18m option that could reshape the club’s transfer record. Bajraktarevic remains a live possibility as Rangers weigh up one more attacking move.
At the same time, Aasgaard, Barron and Cameron have gone, Nsiala is poised to follow, and the likes of McCausland, Souttar and Munn could yet find new homes before the shutters come down.
The Scottish window closes at 5pm on Thursday. For Rangers, the next few hours are not just about names and numbers. They are about defining the shape, ambition and ceiling of McInnes’ first full season in charge.
If this was supposed to be a quiet deadline day, what does a busy one look like?
