Glasgow Rangers head coach Derek McInnes had suggested earlier this week that Kevin Kelsy would be the final signing of the transfer window for the club.
The Lithuania international is set to be announced as a Gers player any minute now after a £9m deal was agreed with MLS side Portland Timbers for his signature.
He travelled over to Glasgow at the start of this week to undergo a medical and all that is left now is the formalities and the media work before he is unveiled.
The 22-year-old centre-forward will not have an easy ride to the starting line-up at Ibrox, though, after Lawrence Shankland put on a masterclass against Falkirk on Wednesday night.
Why Shankland’s Rangers form is bad news for Kelsy
After joining from Hearts and being made club captain over the summer, the Scotland international did not enjoy a strong start to life at Ibrox, scoring one penalty in his first seven matches in all competitions.
However, the Gers skipper has scored three goals in his last two outings in the Scottish Premiership, netting from the penalty spot against Aberdeen and scoring two superb goals in a 2-1 win over Falkirk on Wednesday.
Shankland picked out the roof of the net with a sublime left-footed finish from just inside the box for the opening goal, before brilliantly finding the bottom corner with his left foot for the winning goal in the second half.
Vs Falkirk | Lawrence Shankland |
|---|---|
Minutes | 89 |
Shots | 5 |
xG | 0.81 |
Goals | 2 |
Key passes | 1 |
Ground duels won | 3/4 |
Aerial duels won | 1/2 |
He showed quality in front of goal and physicality as a focal point up front, having struggled with those aspects of his game at the start of the season, and that is bad news for Kelsy.
The £9m signing may struggle to get into the starting line-up if the Rangers captain continues to shine in front of goal with big moments to win matches for McInnes.
Rangers closing in on signing who would be a dream for Shankland
Now, the 49ers are looking to add another attacker to the squad after Kelsy, despite McInnes’ previous comments, and the player they are looking at could be a dream partner for Shankland in the final third.
According to the Daily Record, Glasgow Rangers are pursuing a last-gasp move to sign Stuttgart forward Badredine Bouanani before the summer transfer window closes.The report claims that the Light Blues are closing in on a late deal to land the Algerian winger on a season-long loan to bolster McInnes’ attacking options.Meanwhile, Chris Jack reports that the player has already jetted in to Glasgow to undergo his medical and that there will be an option to make the deal permanent next summer.
The Gers target is a left-footed right winger who could compete with Daisuke Yokota and Findlay Curtis for a spot on the flank, and could add some much-needed spark to the team out wide. Whilst Bouanani struggled for regular game time at Stuttgart, only playing 1,123 minutes in 30 appearances, he did catch the eye at Nice in France in the 2024/25 campaign.
24/25 Ligue 1 | Bouanani (per 90) | Rank vs RWs |
|---|---|---|
xG | 0.22 | Top 44% |
Goals | 0.25 | Top 46% |
xA | 0.18 | Top 42% |
Chances created | 1.65 | Top 42% |
Big chances created | 0.49 | Top 25% |
Assists | 0.25 | Top 29% |
The left-footed star ended that season with a haul of three goals and three assists in 11 starts in Ligue 1 for Nice, which earned him a £13m move to Stuttgart in the Bundesliga last summer. Whilst it has not worked out for him in Germany, Bouanani’s form in France in one of Europe’s major leagues shows that he has the potential to be an exciting attacking threat for the Gers.
Shankland would love to play alongside a winger who excels at creating high-quality chances for his teammates, as the Algerian whiz created six ‘big chances’ in 11 starts in Ligue 1 in the 2024/25 campaign.
Bouanani, who was described as an “exceptional” ball carrier by U23 scout Antonio Mango, also racked up five goals in all competitions, including two in six starts in the Europa League, and could offer a goal threat.
The 21-year-old talent, who also scored two goals in the Europa League for Stuttgart last term, is a winger who has the potential to offer goals and creativity from the right side, making him the dream signing to support the in-form Shankland in attack.
Rangers’ captain would thrive alongside a winger who can create quality chances for him on a regular basis, which is why he will surely be excited by this update on the club’s pursuit of Bouanani.
