Union

Union’s Olwethu Makhanya Reportedly Set for Lateral Move to Half-Decent Scottish Team

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Jul 28th, 2026 · 12:11 PM EDT

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Union center back Olwethu Makhanya never returned from World Cup duty with South Africa because he reportedly wanted out.

And now he’s getting out:

🇿🇦🔵 Sources: Rangers closing in on a deal to sign South Africa int’l center back Olwethu Makhanya from the Philadelphia Union as @Chris_Jack89 first reported.

– Fee north of $4.5m
– Union retain significant sell on clause
– Makhanya, who didn’t return from SA after World Cup as…

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) July 28, 2026

Makhanya had a breakout 2025 season, playing next to Jakob Glesnes on the Supporters’ Shield-winning team. He was really good.

This year, though, he was terrible over 13 games, looking like a shell of the player he was last year. Maybe it was Glesnes’ departure, and not having Kai Wagner at left back, but Makhanya was all out of sorts playing alongside Sery Larsen and Nathan Harriel and a rotating cast of fullbacks. He’s still very young, just 22 years old, and maybe taking the reins as CB1 and filling Glesnes’ shoes was too much, too soon. The rest of the team was also terrible before the World Cup break, so it wasn’t just him, and he’ll likely figure it out. He’s got a lot of natural talent.

But the Rangers move is boring. Scotland is boring. Boring league with Celtic and Rangers duking it out every year, and occasionally a team like Hearts or Aberdeen will finish second, but the SPL is among the least-competitive leagues in the entire world. It is laughably top heavy, and Makhanya will spend time beating up on the likes of St. Mirren and Falkirk while getting the opportunity to play big derbies against Celtic and then exit the Europa League at home against the likes of Braga and PSV.

To be clear, Rangers is not a “massive” team by any means. They’re “massive” in Glasgow and that’s about it. Their fans are completely delusional, walking around like Rangers F.C. is Real Madrid or Bayern Munich. Truly some of the most deranged fans in the world. Last season, Rangers finished 3rd in a two-team league and lost 9-1 to Club Brugge on aggregate in the Champions League playoff round. Hilarious! Then they lost 6 of their 8 games in the Europa League and finished 32nd out of 36 teams in the phase table.

Not just that, but these jokers thought Kai Wagner wasn’t good enough for their team, then Kai walked right into Birmingham’s starting XI for 16 games and came right back to the Union like it was nothing. So if an MLS player can waltz right into the English Championship, he’s plenty good for the almighty RANGERS F.C. in the almighty Scottish Premiership. Best team ever! Best league ever! Rangers is basically a Championship-level club anyway, they just happen to play in Scotland. Rangers is just Middlesbrough in a different country.

Doop Doop, motherfuckers.