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Vasco da Gama are ready to sell winger Rayan for around £8.5 million with Premier League trio West Ham United, Nottingham Forest and Fulham among those showing an interest in the Brazil Under 20 international.
- Exclusive from Graeme Bailey
Despite the struggles of some of their recent signings from Brazil, West Ham United have not been put off targeting another of the South American nation’s brightest young talents.
Nearly two years on from his arrival at the London Stadium from Sao Paulo, defender Luizao is yet to make a single Premier League appearance.
Luis Guilherme, the £26 million summer signing, has only four minutes of top-flight football under his belt himself, albeit having been handed his debut against Ipswich Town last time out.
TBR can now confirm that West Ham are ready to tip their toes into the Brazilian market again with 18-year-old Rayan Vitor Simplicio Rocha the object of their affections.
Known simply as Rayan, the teenager is a left-footed attacker who likes to cut in from the right-hand side in a manner not too dissimilar to that of Hammers talisman Jarrod Bowen.
TBR have been told that Rayan also has admirers at Brentford, Brighton and Hove Albion, Crystal Palace, Fulham and Nottingham Forest.
West Ham and Nottingham Forest in race for Rayan
Palace spent £15 million bringing Matheus Franca to Selhurst Park from Flamengo in the summer of 2023.
Nottingham Forest pulled off one of the best pound-for-pound deals in recent Premier League history when stylish centre-half Murillo arrived at the City Ground for just £15 million himself, meanwhile.
Interestingly, Forest, Brentford and a Brighton side renowned for snapping up the most exciting young South Americans are also on the heels of another Brazilian attacker. Botafogo striker Igor Jesus has numerous admirers in England including Arsenal and Chelsea after scoring on his Selecao debut last week.
TBR have been informed that Vasco da Gama are ready to sell Rayan. His contract expires in 14 months’ time, and a bid of around £8.5 million is likely to do the trick.
Fiorentina are the team currently at the front of the queue. La Viola feel that a deal could be done for closer to £6 million. Rayan is also on the radars of Atalanta, Union Berlin and Sevilla, amid growing interest from England.
Rayan, understandably given his age, is far from the finished article. He has come under fire from some recently, particularly after he picked up a red card in the Copa do Brasil. Rayan was also blamed for Palmeiras’ winning goal in a 1-0 home defeat with the winger dropped to the bench for the next top-flight outing.
Brazil Under 20 starlet Rayan tipped to prove Palmeiras critics wrong
Vasco’s current interim head coach Rafael Paiva has backed Rayan to bounce back, however. Every young player goes through periods like this in their development process, after all.
“What we tell the youth players is that from the moment they step into the professional ranks, they have to be held accountable as professional players,” Paiva told reporters after that Palmeiras reverse.
“He is a player with experience, a lot of physical ability. He is powerful, has a very strong finish, and he is a player who has just been called up to the Brazilian under-20 team. And we saw that he evolved in this process.
“He was unfortunate once again with his mistake [against Palmeiras]. A mistake that, at this level of play, costs him dearly. It cost us our defeat. But he has to be held accountable just like any professional player.
“And he has the technical, tactical and physical ability to withstand professional play.”
