Kevin Kelsy medical and work permit latest after Rangers agree blockbuster signing
Kevin Kelsy is set to sit out of the action for Portland Timbers this weekend as he closes in on a move to Rangers.
Portland are due to host Austin FC in the early hours of Sunday morning (British time) in their 22nd game of the 2026 MLS season.
Kelsy, 22, has scored nine goals in 19 league appearances for the Timbers this year, and his outing against San Diego last week looks to have been his last.
That's because he's now awaiting a work permit to complete his move to Rangers after the Scottish Premiership side agreed an initial £9.5million fee for the Venezuela international.
Rangers have also reportedly agreed a sell-on clause and add-ons, with the next steps of his move to Glasgow now emerging.
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Why Kevin Kelsy won't be playing for Portland anymore
According to Inside Ibrox, Kelsy is waiting for his visa to travel to the United Kingdom, where he'll then have a medical and complete his move to Rangers.
Kelsy has been a star turn in this Portland Timbers side after joining them from Shakhtar Donetsk for £4.4m in January 2025.
At Shakhtar, he played in and scored in the Champions League and Europa League, showing that he's more than capable of scoring against strong opposition on this side of the Atlantic.
His manager at Portland, Marti Cifuentes, has also spoen about the impact Kelsy has had in Oregon.
What Marti Cifuentes has said about Kelsy
“It’s been, obviously, a club decision as well, so we spoke about the pros and cons,” Cifuentes said.
“Kevin was doing well, he’s a young, talented striker. But we have full trust in Ned [Grabavoy], our general manager, and his team to make sure that we are stronger at the end of the window.”
Cifuentes is clearly gutted about losing Kelsy, as are the Portland fans, who are among the most fanatic in Major League Soccer.
However, for Rangers, they're getting themselves a striker who's comparable to Alfredo Morelos in the way that he plays up front.
Maybe that's what Derek McInnes needs in order to fix his side's stuttering start to the new campaign.