Why Rangers fans can expect Portland Timbers to accept Kevin Kelsy bid imminently

Rangers aren't messing about in their attempts to sign Kevin Kelsy.

With Youssef Chermiti suffering a devastating ACL injury, Derek McInnes is being forced back into the striker market.

Inexplicably, Rangers seem to have an alarming lack of firepower in the team at present, despite the additions they've made this summer.

Kelsy's name has quickly emerged in Rangers transfer circles since Thursday, as he continues to enjoy a career 2026 campaign.

The 22-year-old Venezuelan international has already scored the most goals in a single season of his career with 10 in 20 games for Portland Timbers in 2026.

As such, it seems he's a player Rangers really want to sign before the window shuts, as evidenced by their bidding approach.

How far apart Rangers and Portland Timbers are in Kevin Kelsy valuation

Despite their struggles on the pitch so far in 2026-27, in terms of recruitment, Rangers have been doing good work.

Albeit, a number of their new additions haven't quite hit the ground running, but Gers chiefs will have faith that they will come good.

The focus has largely centred around signing younger, high-potential players this summer, and Kelsy certainly fits that mould.

As claimed by MLS insider Tom Bogert via X on Thursday evening, Rangers have tabled a £7.4million bid to sign Kelsy.

However, a fresh report from Sky Sports on Friday claims that Portland Timbers value him at £7.5m.

So, with just a £100,000 difference in valuation, Rangers will surely feel confident that Timbers will accept their approach imminently.

Bogert does, however, claim that neither Timbers nor Kelsy are pushing for a transfer, so it remains to be seen whether meeting the value corresponds with the MLS side letting him leave.

Should Rangers' offer be accepted, what sort of striker is Kelsy and just how good has he been for Portland?

How Kelsy is establishing himself as one of MLS' best strikers

Standing all of 6'4" tall, Kelsy cuts a very imposing and physical figure at the top of the pitch.

He's scored nine goals in 17 MLS games so far in 2026, and five of those have been from inside the six-yard box.

As per FotMob, his 0.72 non-penalty xG (expected goals) per 90 minutes ranks him in the top 3.6 percentile of all MLS strikers in 2026.

Meanwhile, his 64.9 per cent aerial duels win rate and 1.45 headed shots per game place him in the leading six and 7.1 per cent of his positional rivals.

Kelsy is also a player who contributes in the defensive side of the game too, as evidenced by his 2026 numbers.

The Venezuelan averages 1.45 tackles won, 0.73 interceptions and 2.99 defensive contributions per game.

Those numbers rank him in the leading 13.1, 8.3 and 15.5 percentiles of MLS strikers so far this year.

So, with this current Rangers side needing more bite and character, Kelsy could provide a real injection of both on top of his goalscoring ability.