FC Cincinnati has announced the acquisition of Venezuelan striker Kevin Kelsy on a loan deal from Ukrainian Premier League side Shakhtar Donetsk for the remainder of the 2024 MLS season. According to a news release from FCC, Kelsy was added as a U22 initiative player and is “fully eligible” to play.
The loan deal is for a reported $700,000 and includes a purchase option of around $7-$8 million according to Kenta Hagiwara on Twitter.
“We’re thrilled to have Kevin join the group,” Chris Albright, FC Cincinnati general manager, said. “He’s a talented young player with incredible potential and we look forward to working with him. He’s a physically gifted forward with a strong mentality who will fit in well with our team, and we’d like to welcome him to FC Cincinnati.”
Kelsy, only 19-years-old and won’t hit 20 until July 27, has appeared 13 times for Shakhtar in the 2023/24 season, scoring twice and assisting once. Twelve of those appearances were substitutions, with one of them being starts.
He also appeared in five Champions League matches this season for the Ukrainian side, including scoring a goal in a matchup against FC Porto. Kelsy also played in both of Shakhtar’s matches against Barcelona.
“I’m happy to join FC Cincinnati,” Kelsy said. “It’s an exciting project at the club and I look forward to my first game. I can’t wait to meet the fans and play my first game at TQL Stadium.”
In the 2022/23 season, Kelsy appeared in 14 matches, scored five times and had one assist. He also made three appearances for the team in this season’s Europa League competition. scoring once.
Prior to Kelsy’s time with Shakhtar, he played significant minutes for Mineros de Guayana in the first tier of the Venezuelan Liga FUTVE. In the 2021/22 season, he made 23 appearances for Mineros and scored five times, also assisting once,
Kelsy has also made multiple appearances for the Venezuelan National Team. For the Venezuelan U20 team, he made 11 appearances and scored twice. Then, for the Venezuelan U23 team, for which he made his debut on Jan. 21, 2024, he has already scored twice in five appearances.
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