Rangers FC are reportedly weighing a move for Philadelphia Union center-back Olwethu Makhanya, adding the Scottish giants to what’s becoming a crowded line of European clubs circling one of MLS’s most promising young defenders.

Here’s the thing about Makhanya’s situation: Philadelphia Union aren’t exactly in a rush to let him go. The club exercised his contract option in November 2025, locking him down through 2027, and they’ve already rejected at least one European bid they considered too low.

A Belgian bid already turned away

In June 2026, Philadelphia turned down a transfer offer from a top Belgian club for Makhanya. The Union’s position was straightforward: the bid undervalued their player.

Interest has reportedly come from clubs across England, Germany, France, Scotland, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Rangers represent the Scottish contingent of that pursuit, but they’re hardly alone in the queue. For a player born on April 30, 2004, who only arrived in MLS as a U-22 Initiative signing in July 2023, the breadth of attention is remarkable.

Makhanya joined Philadelphia from Stellenbosch FC in South Africa, arriving as a project signing under MLS’s U-22 Initiative, a mechanism designed to help clubs acquire young international talent at reduced salary cap hits.

World Cup pedigree raises the stakes

Makhanya earned his place in South Africa’s 2026 FIFA World Cup squad after a standout 2025 MLS season.

A contract running through 2027 means the Union have no urgency. They can afford to wait for the right number, and the fact that multiple clubs from multiple countries are interested only strengthens their negotiating position.

Rangers’ challenge is straightforward: can they offer enough to pry Makhanya away from a club that has already demonstrated willingness to say no? Philadelphia rejected a Belgian club’s bid, and Rangers would likely need to match or exceed whatever figure the Union deemed insufficient.