Barcelona and Real battle for Rayan, Vasco to decide soon | OneFootball

Vasco da Gama may face a heavy offensive from Real Madrid for its main revelation, and the Spanish club has an ace up its sleeve that plays into any player's dream. According to the Spanish portal Defensa Central, the Merengues are closely monitoring the forward Rayan and have Carlo Ancelotti as a "secret weapon" to convince the athlete.

+ Vasco shields Rayan and wards off billion-dollar bid from the Premier League

The Ancelotti factor

The report mentions that Ancelotti, the current coach of the Brazilian National Team, could play a crucial role in the negotiation. The Italian coach might have the key to help Rayan fulfill his dream of playing in the 2026 World Cup (in the USA, Mexico, and Canada), using this proximity to persuade him to sign with Real Madrid.

Rayan, who plays as a left winger, second striker, or false 9, has caught attention for his "poise and naturalness" on the field. His numbers this season — 20 goals in total, with 14 in the Brasileirão (behind only Vitor Roque, Arrascaeta, and Kaio Jorge) and 5 in the Copa do Brasil (finishing as top scorer alongside Kaio Jorge) — credential him as one of the great prospects in South American football.

Report indicates that the National Team coach could influence Rayan's move to Real Madrid – Photo: Reproduction

Vasco sees competition and increases Rayan's release clause

Florentino Pérez, however, will not have an easy task. Barcelona is also in the player's orbit, promising an "El Clásico" behind the scenes. Additionally, Bayern Munich and Zenit (which had an offer of just over 30 million euros rejected) are in the race.

To protect itself, Vasco recently renewed Rayan's contract until 2028, raising the release clause from 50 to 80 million euros (about R$ 507 million).

For Rayan to arrive, Real Madrid needs to resolve internal issues. The club is awaiting Vinicius Junior's renewal and has decided that Endrick will play on loan for the last six months at Olympique de Lyon. With Rodrygo regaining form, a spot in the attack would need to be opened for the arrival of the Vasco gem.

The Colina gem had a memorable 2025 – Photo: Matheus Lima/Vasco

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This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.