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Arsenal and Man Utd stunned as 'next Adriano' joins Premier League rivals
Tom Weber
- 16 Jan 2026 15:43 GMT
- 4 min read
News
Despite strong links with Arsenal and Manchester United, Vasco da Gama wonderkid Rayan looks set to join Bournemouth this month.
The 19-year-old was the breakout star of the 2025 Brazilian season. Rayan burst onto the scene with an impressive 20 goals across all competitions, and he netted twice in Vasco's opening game of 2026, a 4-2 win over Marica in the Rio de Janeiro state championship.
He has earned lavish praise in the Brazilian media, with one pundit even comparing the powerful attacker to former Selecao phenom Adriano last year. Naturally, Rayan has attracted the attention of European clubs.
Current ETV
Rayan Vitor Simplicio Rocha
M (R), F (C), AM (L)
Vasco
Rayan Vitor Simplicio Rocha
M (R), F (C), AM (L)
Vasco
ETV Range
€18.2M - €22.2M
Arsenal, Barcelona, Man Utd and many other European giants have been linked with the teenager for months. However, Vasco appeared to secure his services for at least the next six months when they agreed a contract extension with him in December.
Rayan's release clause was bumped up to €80 million as Vasco are desperate to keep him until the summer. Because of the busy schedule in Brazil, there was less than a month between the last game of the 2025 season and the first game of 2026, so losing him now would be a huge blow.
Bournemouth to sign Rayan?
However, it is looking increasingly likely that Rayan will be on the move this month. Intriguingly, though, he is not set to join one of the European giants frequently linked with him.
Instead, Bournemouth are now pushing hard to sign the wonderkid. Various reliable sources, including Fabrizio Romano, Ben Jacobs and Florian Plettenberg, have confirmed that the Cherries are in talks to sign Rayan.
Vasco have made it clear that they want at least €35m to sell him. So far, Bournemouth have yet to reach that valuation, but Romano reports that Rayan has informed his side that he wants to make the move.
Bournemouth, of course, are in the market for a replacement for Antoine Semenyo, who has joined Man City for €72m and already scored twice for his new club. Losing him was a massive blow for Andoni Iraola, and Rayan will have big shoes to fill should he indeed make the move.
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