Not since Alfredo Morelos have Glasgow Rangers had a powerful and reliable centre-forward to propel them to trophies and Scottish Premiership success at Ibrox.
Many players have come and gone in the number nine position since Steven Gerrard won the division with the Colombian up front in the 2020/21 campaign, but none of them have won a title.
The likes of Antonio Colak, Cyriel Dessers, Danilo, Bojan Miovski, Youssef Chermiti, and many more, all either failed or are currently failing to match Morelos’ legacy.
After picking up one point from the first two matches of the Premiership campaign under Derek McInnes, it feels like now, more than ever, is the time to find their next version of the striker.
Why Rangers have to sign a new striker
If the Scottish head coach is to persist with his favoured 4-4-2 formation, the Light Blues have to be in the market to sign a new number nine before the end of the summer transfer window.
Lawrence Shankland was brought in on a free transfer from Hearts and named as the new captain at Ibrox, yet he played every minute of the first two league matches and failed to score a goal.
He did score from the penalty spot against Jagiellonia Bialystok on Thursday night, but the veteran striker is yet to prove himself from open play in the league or in Europe.
Meanwhile, Ryan Naderi and Bojan Miovski are the club’s other options in the centre-forward position and neither of them have looked up to the task in the opening weeks of the league campaign.
|
25/26 Premiership |
Naderi |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
2 |
|
Minutes |
99 |
|
xG |
0.51 |
|
Goals |
0 |
|
Big chances created |
0 |
|
Assists |
0 |
|
Ground duel success rate |
25% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
47% |
Miovski has not been given a single minute in the league so far, whilst the German attacker has struggled on and off the ball in the first two matches.
Along with Chermiti’s ACL injury, the lack of quality coming from the club’s current number nines illustrates why a new striker should be brought in before the deadline.
Rangers looking likely to strike deal for their next Morelos
Supporters should be pleased to learn, therefore, that the 49ers are looking to back McInnes with the addition of another frontline option before the end of the window.
A report from Turkey claims that Glasgow Rangers are pursuing a deal to sign Portland Timbers centre-forward Kevin Kelsy to bolster their attacking ranks.
The striker is said to be looking likely to move to Ibrox before the end of the window, which means that the 49ers appear to be closing in on an agreement for the number nine.
An offer of around £7.4m has already been made by the Gers board for the Venezuela international, but it is unclear at this moment in time if they will have to offer more than that to finally strike an agreement.
It should come as great news to the fans and to McInnes that Kelsy is looking likely to sign for the Scottish giants because he could be the new Morelos at Ibrox.
His form for Portland Timbers in the MLS in the 2026 campaign suggests that he has the goalscoring qualities and the physical attributes to mirror what the Colombian offered during his time in Glasgow.
|
2026 MLS |
Kevin Kelsy |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
17 |
|
Starts |
12 |
|
xG |
7.95 |
|
Goals |
9 |
|
Minutes per goal |
112 |
|
Big chances created |
4 |
|
Duel success rate |
49% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
65% |
The 22-year-old marksman offers a threat in front of goal, scoring every 112 minutes on average, and provides a physical outlet up front, winning an eye-catching percentage of his duels with opposition defenders.
Kelsy, who has scored 19 goals for Portland in all competitions since the start of 2025, is a complete striker who offers goals, creativity, and physicality for his side.
In the 2020/21 Premiership campaign, Morelos scored 12 goals and created four ‘big chances’ in 26 starts, whilst winning 40% of his duels and 36% of his aerial battles to lead Rangers to the title.
The Colombia international, whose physicality was lauded by Gerrard, was a complete striker for the Light Blues and spearheaded their title-winning campaign with his performances up front.
Kelsy’s performances in the MLS this year suggest that he has the qualities to replicate Morelos’ impact at Ibrox, as he is also a well-rounded striker who can offer plenty to the team technically and physically.
Therefore, the 22-year-old marksman could be McInnes’ own version of Morelos by duelling with defenders to hold the ball up and bring his teammates into play, whilst offering a big threat as a goalscorer.
