Rangers Sign Winger Minsu Kim from Girona for £8.5m
Rangers have landed winger Minsu Kim from Girona in an £8.5m deal, completing a four-year contract with an option for a further 12 months as Derek McInnes’ summer rebuild gathers real pace.
The 20-year-old South Korea international becomes the club’s 12th signing of a frantic window, with striker Kevin Kelsy expected to follow in a £9.2m move from Portland Timbers before the September 3 deadline.
A new edge in Rangers’ attack
Kim arrives with a growing reputation and a clear sense of purpose.
"I'm so happy to sign for Rangers. I know it's a big club with great, great fans," he said after sealing the move. "I want to help the team to be better every day, to be a good person, and to do everything I can to help the team win everything that comes our way.
"I have a lot of excitement and I believe I have the mentality of a winner. I want to face whatever comes next head-on and I'm going to give the club what it deserves."
McInnes has made no secret of his desire to sharpen Rangers’ forward options, and he believes Kim brings exactly that.
"We are delighted to welcome Minsu to Rangers. Strengthening our options in the forward areas has been a real target and focus for us throughout this window, and we believe he will add another exciting dimension to the squad," the manager said.
"Minsu is a talented young player with excellent technical ability, energy and a real desire to develop, and we are looking forward to working with him."
Kim is not registered in Rangers’ Conference League squad for Thursday night’s play-off second leg against Jablonec, so his first appearance is likely to come at Pittodrie against Aberdeen on Sunday, live on Sky Sports. A debut in one of Scottish football’s most hostile fixtures would be a sharp introduction to life at Ibrox.
From Girona prospect to Ibrox project
Kim joined Girona in 2022 and initially worked his way through the B team, catching the eye quickly enough to make his La Liga debut in October 2024. The step up did not stop there; he featured in the Champions League the following month, a rapid rise that underlined his potential on the European stage.
Last season he spent the campaign on loan at La Liga 2 side Andorra, where he scored six goals and provided four assists. That output, combined with his versatility and energy in wide areas, convinced Rangers he was worth a significant investment as they look to reshape their attacking unit.
For McInnes, Kim’s arrival is part of a broader strategy: younger, hungry players with resale value, but ready to impact the first team immediately. With Kelsy expected to arrive next, Rangers’ front line could look very different by the time the window closes.
Raskin left at home as transfer noise grows
While one door opens, another may be about to close.
Nicolas Raskin has not travelled to the Czech Republic for the Conference League play-off second leg against Jablonec, with McInnes confirming the midfielder’s absence is down to intensifying transfer interest rather than injury.
"Nico hasn't travelled. Nothing to do with injury or anything like that, just the potential of a transfer, potentially," McInnes explained. "I just think we're so late in the window, maybe it's something the club's looking at. He's trained this morning but has been left back in Glasgow.
"When I came into the job, it was quite clear that there was going to be an opportunity for Nico. There's been plenty of interest in him. We believe that interest has stepped up over the last couple of days, so something may or may not happen.
"If Nico stays beyond the window, then it would be great to work with him. But if he doesn't, we wish him well."
Sky Sports News reported earlier in the week that clubs from across Europe and England are monitoring the Belgium international, with Atalanta and Real Betis among those previously credited with interest. It is understood teams from Spain, Italy, France and England are now in the frame for the 25-year-old, who has two years left on his Ibrox deal.
Rangers hold a 1-0 advantage going into the second leg against Jablonec, a tie that could shape the mood around the club as the window ticks towards its conclusion. Raskin’s absence only heightens the sense of a squad in transition.
Asked whether a Raskin departure would force Rangers back into the market for another midfielder, despite three signings already made in that area this summer, McInnes kept his cards close.
"In certain areas of the pitch, we're a bit stronger than others. I think everything moves on," he said. "Nico served the club well. There's obviously an opportunity for him and the club to capitalise on that for a transfer fee. I don't really want to say too much about Nico at the minute until, if and when, something happens.
"It's still an if rather than a certainty. So maybe we can comment a bit more on that if something happens."
For now, Rangers stand on a knife-edge: a European place to secure, a key midfielder’s future in the balance, and a new winger ready to step into the spotlight. How quickly Minsu Kim settles could say plenty about where this revamped Rangers side is heading next.
