Why Rangers risk repeating the Igamane scenario with a potential £9m signing

Why Rangers could repeat the Igamane success with £9m Kevin Kelsy signing

Rangers have experienced significant turnover among their strikers in recent seasons, and the constant changes in the centre-forward position highlight just how difficult it has been for the club to find a long-term solution.

At the beginning of the 2024/25 campaign, Rangers had Cyriel Dessers, Danilo and Hamza Igamane available as their main striking options. Fast-forward to the present day and none of that trio remain at Ibrox, while the club have gone through four different No.9s in just 12 months, with another potentially about to arrive.

Since Alfredo Morelos left the club in 2023, Rangers have struggled to find a consistent goalscorer capable of leading the attack. Of all those who have followed the Colombian, Igamane arguably came closest to becoming the answer.

Igamane still stands out among Rangers’ recent strikers

Rangers’ attempts to replace Morelos have produced mixed results. Sam Lammers became one of the biggest disappointments, while Fabio Silva’s loan spell failed to deliver the impact expected of him.

Danilo has also struggled for consistency due largely to injury problems. The Brazilian has scored only 16 goals in 76 appearances for Rangers and has now returned to Botafogo on loan.

Dessers, meanwhile, produced considerably better numbers, scoring 51 times in 116 appearances. However, his tendency to miss opportunities frustrated supporters, with the striker wasting 47 big chances in the Premiership across the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons.

Among the current options, Miovski has seen relatively little involvement over the past year, while Naderi has managed only one league goal since January.

Shankland is yet to establish himself during the early stages of the current campaign, while Chermiti’s season-ending ACL injury has created another problem. The Portuguese forward scored 15 goals last season, although those goals came across just eight separate matches.

That makes Igamane’s 16-goal campaign in 2024/25 particularly impressive.

The Moroccan was one of the most exciting players to watch during his short Rangers career. His performances in Europe were especially eye-catching, with four goals in 10 Europa League appearances.

His time in Glasgow ultimately ended amid controversy following his apparent refusal to play under Russell Martin, but Rangers still managed to turn a £1.7m investment into a reported £10.4m sale to Lille.

From a financial perspective, it was excellent business.

Could Kelsy become Rangers’ next Igamane?

Rangers ideally need greater stability rather than continually rebuilding their squad. However, there is also a strong argument that the club should continue developing young players before selling them for significant profits when the right opportunity arrives.

The departures of Calvin Bassey to Ajax and Igamane to Lille demonstrate how Rangers can benefit from that approach.

Kevin Kelsy could potentially become the latest example.

According to The Athletic’s Tom Bogert, the Portland Timbers striker is travelling to Glasgow for a medical after Rangers agreed a deal worth around £9.5m for the 22-year-old.

While some final details reportedly still need to be completed, the move appears close to being finalised. Bogert has suggested Kelsy could score heavily for Rangers before eventually attracting interest from Premier League clubs or other major European sides.

That pathway would be similar to the one Igamane followed.

Kelsy is not exactly the same type of striker as Igamane. Rather than possessing the Moroccan’s technical and creative qualities, the Venezuelan is a more powerful and physically imposing forward, making him closer stylistically to Chermiti.

His pace, strength and ability to attack the penalty area make him a potentially dangerous addition, while his goalscoring record suggests he knows how to find the net.

Kelsy has scored 19 goals in 63 appearances for Portland, including 10 in 2026 alone.

Interestingly, those numbers compare favourably with Igamane’s record before he moved to Rangers. The Moroccan scored 16 goals in 59 appearances for AS FAR Rabat before making the move to Scotland.

Kelsy’s journey to Ibrox has also been unconventional. He began his career in Venezuela before moving to Ukraine and eventually finding his way to the United States.

His time in MLS has been particularly productive. He has scored nine league goals this year at a rate of one every 140 minutes, while converting 20 per cent of his chances.

There are areas for improvement, however, with Kelsy having missed 12 big chances this season. Igamane missed only six during his comparable full campaign, although his scoring rate of one goal every 166 minutes was still highly impressive.

Kelsy may not replicate Igamane’s style, but Rangers could once again have identified a young striker capable of making a major impact at Ibrox and eventually generating a substantial profit.

If the £9.5m signing delivers as expected, Rangers may have found their next young striking sensation.