Southampton could face huge €35m transfer regret as AFC Bournemouth make move | OneFootball

Bournemouth looks ready to bring the talented Brazilian teenager to the Premier League one year after Southampton were linked

AFC Bournemouth are facing a tough, but necessary, task to replace Antoine Semenyo this January, following the former Bristol City man's move to Manchester City, and the Cherries are currently monitoring a teenager who, last year, was linked with a move to Southampton.

Rayan Vitor was the subject of some transfer talk towards the tail end of 2024, as Premier League strugglers Southampton and Ipswich Town, alongside renowned developers of young talent, Brighton and Hove Albion, were all interested in the exciting Brazilian.

The Brazilian U20 international had just come off a breakthrough season appearance-wise with Vasco da Gama in the Brazilian Serie A, scoring once in 24 appearances.

However, at the time, the Saints needed recognisable talent to try to help them stay in the division, and with GiveMeSport at the time reporting that the Brazilian outfit were looking for a fee in the region of £15 million, the links slowly died down.

But, one year on, the 19-year-old has exploded into life following a breakout year with 20 goals in all competitions, and now Bournemouth are eying him as a long-term Semenyo replacement.

Bournemouth's Rayan links will frustrate Southampton — he's been a different player in the past year

Southampton never really made a splash in the January transfer window last season, despite their poor start to their Premier League return.

New striker arrivals, Cameron Archer and Ben Brereton Diaz, had disappointed, and the latter, alongside Adam Armstrong, departed the club on loan. Despite this, no exciting attacking signings were made, although the Saints were reportedly interested in a relatively unknown Brazilian winger, Rayan.

At just 18, Rayan was seen as a promising prospect, and making top-flight appearances at his age was impressive, but he wasn't pulling up any trees in the Brazilian Serie A, so Southampton opted against the £15 million price tag.

However, now, he looks set to take the Premier League by storm just one year later, as he's been linked with a €35 million (£30 million) move to Bournemouth. He's doubled his value, and there's a good reason for it.

Rayan only had two league goals for Vasco de Gama this time last year, but he's had a breakout season in 2025, netting 20 in 57 in all competitions, including 14 in Serie A, and in his sole Campeonato Carioca game this season, he netted a brace in a 4-2 win.

The hole that Semenyo has left in Andoni Iraola's side is a massive one, and if the Cherries are to avoid slipping into a relegation battle in the Premier League, his replacement needs to be massive, and it seems that Rayan will be the first choice to fill that gap.

Southampton will regret not pulling the trigger on Rayan, especially if he hits the ground running at Bournemouth

Evidently, Rayan's 2025 has seen him emerge from a hot prospect to one who could cope in a top-five European league.

If that trajectory was always going to be followed, no matter the club the 19-year-old was at, then Southampton will be kicking themselves that they didn't take a chance on him.

The Saints still managed to recoup £42 million for Mateus Fernandes and £40 million for Tyler Dibling in the summer, despite relegation. At the very worst, Rayan could have represented yet another huge profit if Southampton didn't stay up, or he could've even been the catalyst for an unlikely great escape at St Mary's.

It seems that the second half of this season will be the litmus test for the 19-year-old in the Premier League, and he'll have a lot of eyes on him from a neutral sense, given the man he's replacing at the Vitality Stadium.

But he'll also have those at St Mary's looking on with intrigue, too. If he doesn't live up to the hefty expectations, perhaps Southampton can look at this missed target in hindsight and feel that they dodged a bullet.

But after a red-hot 2025, nothing is stopping Rayan from taking the Premier League by storm, and if he does, no side will be more envious than the Saints.