Rangers Secure £8.5m Signing of Minsu Kim as Raskin's Future Uncertain

Rangers have pushed through the £8.5m signing of winger Minsu Kim from Girona, adding another bold stroke to an already frantic summer at Ibrox.

The 20-year-old South Korea international has signed an initial four-year deal, with an option for a further 12 months, becoming the club’s 12th arrival of the window. And they are not done yet. A £9.2m agreement is in place with Portland Timbers for striker Kevin Kelsy, with that move expected to follow before the September 3 deadline.

A new weapon out wide

Kim will not feature in the Europa Conference League play-off second leg against Jablonec, having been left out of the squad, but his first glimpse in a Rangers shirt could come quickly. Aberdeen away on Sunday, live on Sky Sports, is the likely stage for his debut.

His route to Glasgow has been sharp and steep. Kim joined Girona in 2022, impressed with their B team, then broke into La Liga in October 2024. A month later he was tasting Champions League football. Last season he dropped to La Liga 2 with Andorra on loan and responded with six goals and four assists, numbers that caught Rangers’ eye.

Now he arrives with the language of ambition.

"I'm so happy to sign for Rangers. I know it's a big club with great, great fans," he said. "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."

Manager Derek McInnes has made it clear this was a targeted move, not a late-window gamble.

"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," he 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 drops into a squad already heavily remodelled, but his arrival feels different: a sizeable fee, a rising international, and a player expected to influence games now, not just in the future.

Raskin left at home as interest spikes

While one door opens, another might be edging shut.

Nicolas Raskin has not travelled with the squad to the Czech Republic for the second leg against Jablonec, with McInnes confirming the Belgian’s absence is down to mounting 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 said. "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."

Raskin, 25, has two years left on his contract and has drawn attention from across Europe. Atalanta and Real Betis were among the clubs to show early interest, and there is thought to be further demand from Spain, Italy, France and England.

The timing is delicate. Rangers hold a 1-0 advantage over Jablonec as they chase a place in the Conference League proper, yet they are also weighing up whether to cash in on a key midfielder.

Asked if a Raskin exit would force another move in the market, despite three midfield additions already this summer, McInnes kept his options open.

"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."

A new winger through the door, a key midfielder left at home, a European tie in the balance and the window ticking down. Rangers are not just reshaping a squad; they are reshaping the direction of their season in real time.