What was meant to be a tidy, controlled end to Rangers’ summer has burst into a full‑blown deadline-day scramble.
Derek McInnes thought Kevin Kelsy would be the final piece. Instead, the Venezuelan’s arrival from Portland Timbers has lit the fuse on a frantic last push to reshape his squad before the Scottish window slams shut at 5pm on Thursday.
Kelsy deal finally over the line
The Kelsy move has been brewing for weeks, ever since Youssef Chermiti’s ACL tear against Hibs ripped a hole through Rangers’ forward line and their plans for the first half of the season. Chermiti is out until at least after the New Year. McInnes needed a replacement he could trust to carry the load.
Kelsy is that man. The 20-year-old has completed his switch from Portland in a deal worth around £9.5 million plus add-ons, a huge sale for the MLS club and a statement outlay from Ibrox.
MLS insider Tom Bogert moved to calm any late nerves among Rangers fans, confirming the move was “finally done” after a late snag over the player’s share of the fee. Kelsy had already travelled to Europe days ago; the paperwork simply had to catch up.
It now has. The striker is in, the money is down, and the message is clear: Rangers are backing McInnes.
Bouanani deal gathers speed
Just when it looked like that might be that, McInnes dropped a hint after the win over Falkirk that one “little thing” might still be bubbling away. That “little thing” has turned into a major attacking play.
Rangers are closing in on Stuttgart winger Badredine Bouanani, who only a short while ago seemed destined for Strasbourg. The Ibrox club have surged to the front of the queue, with the 21‑year‑old already in Scotland and undergoing a medical.
The proposed deal is a loan with an option to buy reportedly set at €18 million. If Rangers ever trigger that clause, it would represent a colossal investment and could challenge the Scottish transfer record.
Bouanani is no stranger to Ibrox. He scored for Nice in that bruising 4-1 Europa League win over Philippe Clement’s Rangers in 2024, a performance that clearly left a mark. Stuttgart took him to the Bundesliga, but his next act may now come back in Glasgow, where McInnes wants extra quality and pace out wide.
For a player who has already hurt Rangers on a big European night to now be on the brink of pulling on their shirt, the storyline writes itself.
Bajraktarevic on the radar
Bouanani is not the only winger in the frame.
Rangers are also working on Esmir Bajraktarevic, the US-born Bosnian international currently at PSV. The 21‑year‑old only joined the Dutch side from New England Revolution in January 2025 and is under contract until 2029, but he is firmly on the Ibrox radar.
Scott Burns has reported that Bajraktarevic is another live option, with Rangers’ recruitment team – led on this one by Dan Purdy – having done extensive homework on the player. PSV reporter Rik Elfrink has stated the winger “could still leave” Eindhoven, though Rangers face competition.
If a deal is to happen, it will have to move fast. The club are weighing up whether Bouanani alone answers their need for wide threats or whether Bajraktarevic should join him as part of a broader attacking overhaul.
Cerny door closes
One name can now be scored off the list.
Vaclav Cerny, once linked with a return to Ibrox after his previous spell at the club, will not be coming back from Besiktas. His salary demands and his reluctance to leave Turkey, where he benefits from favourable tax arrangements, have effectively killed any prospect of a deal.
McInnes must look elsewhere to reinforce his flanks. Bouanani and Bajraktarevic are the live wires; Cerny is yesterday’s idea.
Aasgaard leads the exodus
While the front end of the pitch grabs the headlines, there has been significant movement in the opposite direction.
Thelo Aasgaard has joined Anderlecht on loan with a €6 million purchase clause, following Connor Barron and Lyall Cameron out of McInnes’ squad. Aasgaard, who had also been linked with Bodo/Glimt, will spend the season in Belgium, where he reunites with former Rangers teammate Oliver Antman, another to have departed earlier in the summer.
Barron has completed his switch to Middlesbrough, while Cameron has headed to Dundee United on loan. Three players out, three spaces freed up. The exits have created both room in the dressing room and flexibility in the wage bill for McInnes to push ahead with his attacking rebuild.
Nsiala set for Cyprus
Clinton Nsiala is expected to be next through the departure door.
The defender is poised to join Pafos on loan, a move that would see him link up with former Brazil and Chelsea defender David Luiz. There has been interest from Bursaspor in Turkey, but Cyprus is currently the likeliest destination.
For Nsiala, it offers minutes and a new environment. For Rangers, it trims the defensive ranks and clarifies the pecking order at the back.
McCausland, Souttar and Munn in the shop window
The clear-out may not stop there.
Goalkeeper Mason Munn is in a similar position. The Northern Irish stopper has slipped down the hierarchy after the arrival of Ivor Pandur and now sits behind Pandur, Liam Kelly and teenager Rydnn McGuire.
Munn’s loans at Dunfermline and Forfar last season did not unfold as hoped. Another temporary move is on the table, with Rangers keen for him to find a club where he can finally bank regular first‑team minutes.
Miovski and Cifuentes stay put
Not every story ends with a suitcase by the door.
Bojan Miovski, who had potential routes out of Ibrox via Feyenoord, LASK and Genclerbirligi, now looks increasingly likely to stay. Those avenues have faded, and unless a late move emerges from Greece or another league with a longer window, the striker will remain part of McInnes’ attacking options.
Jose Cifuentes will also stay, at least until January. The midfielder is still recovering from surgery after his loan spell with Toronto FC and is not expected to move before this window closes. His focus is on fitness; his future can wait for the winter.
Raskin saga twists again – and settles
Perhaps the most dramatic subplot of Rangers’ window has been the future of Nicolas Raskin.
Besiktas pushed hard. First with a proposed loan 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.
The Belgian midfielder, left out of the squads against Jablonec and Aberdeen, returned to the team against Falkirk just as the speculation peaked. McInnes has been unwavering in public, insisting he would be more than happy to keep Raskin.
“Nico has been first class,” the manager said. Since returning from the World Cup, Raskin has, in McInnes’ words, trained “brilliantly” and handled the noise around his future with professionalism.
With Besiktas rebuffed and no acceptable offer on the table, Raskin now looks set to remain at Ibrox, ready to resume his role at the heart of midfield once the window finally shuts.
Final hours, high stakes
So here Rangers stand in the final hours of the window.
Kelsy is signed, sealed and delivered from Portland Timbers for around £9.5m plus add-ons. Bouanani is in the building, his medical under way, with an €18m option to buy dangling as a potential record-breaking statement. Bajraktarevic remains a live possibility as McInnes and his recruitment team weigh one last attacking swing.
On the other side of the ledger, Aasgaard, Barron and Cameron are already out, Nsiala is close to joining Pafos, and McCausland, Souttar and Munn are all available for the right loan.
What was supposed to be a calm, controlled finish has turned into a race against the clock, with Rangers trying to nail down their wide options while trimming a squad that has quietly been reshaped all summer.
By 5pm on Thursday, we will know whether this late surge has simply tidied the edges of McInnes’ squad – or delivered the kind of bold, attacking reinvention that can tilt the balance of a season.
