FC Porto weigh up next move for Rayan, but have other options | OneFootball

The final stretch of the market promises a lot of excitement in the blue and white football world. Besides nearly closed deals like Kiwior's and the case of Rodrigo Mora – with the player remaining firm in Al Ittihad's demands – negotiations continue to strengthen the squad led by Francesco Farioli. Rayan, a 19-year-old prospect from Vasco da Gama, is among the priorities of FC Porto's management. The Dragons have reportedly submitted an initial offer of around 17 million euros, but the Rio club prefers to keep the young talent and demands significantly higher amounts.

Admar Lopes, Vasco's general director, stated on Tuesday in a press conference that "there are no ongoing negotiations," implying that Porto's offer might have been rejected. Nevertheless, Vasco's officials would welcome a sale in the region of €25 million, making it plausible for negotiations to continue until the summer market closes at 11:59 PM on Monday in Portugal. Rayan's contract ends in late 2026, a circumstance that could favor FC Porto, which is considering its next steps without ruling out other alternatives identified by the management.

An international for Brazil's youth teams – winner of the South American U-20 Championship this year – Rayan has long been pointed out as one of the most promising talents in Brazilian football. For his current season at Vasco da Gama, he is already considered a reliable player with ample room for growth. Since the start of 2025, including all competitions, he has scored 10 goals and provided one assist in 36 matches for the cross-maltese emblem.

With remarkable explosiveness and a notable physical build – standing 1.85 meters tall – Rayan is left-footed and prefers to play as a winger on the right side. This position is precisely one that André Villas-Boas and FC Porto's management team have identified as lacking, but the player also offers other solutions. Feeling comfortable as a second striker and even as a center-forward, he could become a versatile option for Farioli.

Monitored by FC Porto for several months, the player has entered the Dragons' priority list, who are now trying to get ahead of top European clubs interested in him. Sporting was once linked to his name, and more recently, AC Milan reportedly explored the possibility of signing him. Before that, Barcelona and Lyon had also shown interest. In 2022, Rayan stood out by scoring 29 goals in 34 games for Vasco da Gama's U-17 team.

"You need to press and come back! How are you going to score a goal? You're just going to give them a counterattack!" Diniz snapped, visibly irritated. At the end of the match, the coach explained the reason for the reprimand: "When the ball comes in, we play with a higher line, so it opens up more. The full-back has to jump faster, the line has to run, and Rayan has to be closer to come back. We didn't do any of that. There were three mistakes in that goal," he said, referring to Corinthians' 1-0. Vasco ended up losing 3-2, although Rayan scored the second goal for the visiting team.

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