On Thursday, the Philadelphia Union announced the sale of 22-year-old South African center back Olwethu Makhanya to Scottish side Rangers FC for an undisclosed fee.
Philadelphia Union defender Olwethu Makhanya looking to progress the ball vs Chicago Fire
Image Provided / Philadelphia Union
Makhanya, who represented the Philadelphia Union for 3 years as the club’s first-ever U22 Initiative signing, played a key role in the Blue and Gold’s Supporters’ Shield victory under Bradley Carnell during the 2025 season, logging 23 starts over 29 total matches played in a backline that conceded a league-low 35 goals.
Olwethu arrived in Philadelphia during the summer of the 2023 season and spent his first season and a half developing with Union 2, before making his MLS debut on the opening night of the 2025 season against Orlando City. Makhanya will leave the Union with 53 total matches played and 3 goals scored across all competitions.
Though he failed to feature at the tournament, Makhanya represented his home country of South Africa at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where, for the first time ever, South Africa advanced through the Group stage and qualified for the knockout round.
Philadelphia Union Defender Olwethu Makhanya on the ball vs DC United
Image Provided / Philadelphia Union
Makhanya never returned to training in Philadelphia after the World Cup, with reports suggesting that the South African and his camp were unhappy with the Union not accepting an offer from a European club for the young Center Back, which his camp believed the Union had promised.
Ultimately, the Union has to make sure a transfer makes sense for them and their evaluation of a player, and it looks like they’ve found a suitor and a fee they’re happy to accept, sending Makhanya on his way across the pond to take the next step in his career for a reported fee of somewhere north of $4.5 million plus a significant sell-on clause.
“We greatly appreciate Olwethu’s contributions in his three years with the Union. He has grown tremendously since joining the club and proved himself to be impactful on our backline. We believe this is a great opportunity for Olwethu as he continues to develop, and we wish him all the best in this next chapter.” - Union Sporting Director, Jon Scheer
