Here's what you need to know about Kevin Kelsy, FC Cincinnati's newest player
FC Cincinnati's attack is set to eventually be reinforced by 19-year-old Kevin Kelsy of Venezuela.
Kelsy, a forward player from Ukrainian top-flight side Shakhtar Donetsk, joined FC Cincinnati this week on a loan deal with an option for the club to purchase his contract. Kelsy then made a kind of debut at the Mercy Health Training Center on Tuesday.
Multiple reports stated FC Cincinnati would pay a $700,000 loan fee to the war-displaced Donetsk club.
For now, club officials said, Kelsy will work off to the side at its practice facility, away from his teammates while he awaits his P-1 visa. No timetable for obtaining the visa was offered and he won't be fully integrated into the team until he receives it, but just the sight of the broad-shouldered goal-scorer running laps Tuesday in Milford should buoy fans.
The move to acquire Kelsy, which The Enquirer reported on Sunday, started to come together just days prior to the Tuesday closure of Major League Soccer's primary transfer window. Kelsy will occupy an Under-22 initiative roster spot, which is a mechanism that incentivizes clubs to invest in young, budding talent.
Kelsy certainly fits the profile of a promising prospect, although he's still a teenager and will require time to adjust to his new environment. He notched seven goals, two assists, and his UEFA Champions League debut over the last two seasons with Donetsk.
The thought is that 6-foot-4 Venezuelan youth international could provide FC Cincinnati with a physically-imposing presence in its attack, and could also provide the kind of holdup play the team has lacked in 2024. Despite his youth, it's also thought the well-traveled Kelsy will be adaptable to life in Cincinnati considering his experience playing for Donetsk.
His parent club was long ago displaced from the Donbass Arena, which was one of the higher-profile soccer venues in Europe up until it sustained bombing damage in August 2014. Absent a true home venue, Kelsy and his Shakhtar teammates have played matches at a variety of "home" venues, including one in Germany for the Champions League and one in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, for league matches.
Kelsy arrived in Cincinnati following the club's 2-1 comeback win over Atlanta United on Saturday. The victory saw the club improve to 4-2-3 in 2024, and it is just three points back of first-place Inter Miami CF. FCC also has a game in-hand.
It isn't clear if Kelsy will be available for FC Cincinnati's home match Saturday against Colorado Rapids, which have shot out to a 4-2-3 record of its own under former New York Red Bulls manager and Manchester United assistant, Chris Armas.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Meet Kevin Kelsy, FC Cincinnati's newest player
