Rayan Vitor Simplicio Rocha, or simply Rayan, immediately stole the spotlight on his Premier League debut. The next big thing in Brazilian football, born in 2006, scored on his first start for Bournemouth, who had signed him just two weeks earlier from Vasco da Gama. With the Brazilian club, he had already made a name for himself on the world stage, scoring 16 goals in 42 matches in 2025 at just 18 years old.
Rayan scores on his debut:
A burst down the right, a sharp dribble past former Roma player Digne, and a toe-poke finish at the near post to beat Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez: a goal that on its own showcases all of Rayan’s qualities, explosiveness, ease in beating opponents one-on-one, and the physical strength to withstand defenders’ challenges. In just two weeks, the Brazilian 2006-born talent has already made his mark in the Premier League: an assist in 22 minutes against Wolverhampton and the decisive goal in Bournemouth’s 1–1 draw with Aston Villa.
As pointed out by Calcio Mercato, AC Milan and Lazio had previously made moves for Rayan, but Bournemouth ultimately secured the deal, beating the competition with a €30 million offer and a project that convinced both the player and Vasco da Gama.
Milan had tracked Rayan both in the summer and in the autumn. Initially, the Rossoneri had asked for information after sending Samuel Chukwueze to Fulham on loan with an option to buy, but the trail went cold due to the high costs of the operation, estimated between €35 and €40 million, especially after the club had already invested to bring Nkunku to Milan. In November, rumors once again linked Milan with the 2006-born forward, but in January they instead turned their attention to Füllkrug.
Lazio, meanwhile, seemed to have gone further, opening negotiations with Vasco da Gama during the recently concluded winter transfer window. Sporting director Fabiani put forward an offer of around €20 million plus 50% of a future resale, still far from Vasco da Gama’s valuation, which eventually gave in to Bournemouth’s €30 million bid.
