Bournemouth have been warned that a deal to sign their top candidate to replace Antoine Semenyo could come a year too early.
The Cherries are in talks with Vasco da Gama over teenage winger Rayan Vitor and have made an opening offer, The Pitch Prospect learns.
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Vasco is looking to fetch €35m (£30m) for the 19-year-old, who is tipped to be a long-term replacement for Semenyo.
However, The Pitch Prospect’s chief football correspondent Alex Crook has revealed that Andoni Iraola’s side value him much less.
Ghanaian superstar Semenyo joined Manchester City for £62.5 million this month in what was a record sale for Bournemouth.
Who is Bournemouth’s target, Rayan?
Rayan is the latest gem from the Vasco academy, which has produced Romario, Chelsea’s Andrey Santos and his teammate Philippe Coutinho.
He scored 14 league goals in Brazil’s top flight and provided one assist in 34 games as the club finished two points outside the relegation zone.
The attacker had already hit the ground running in the first game of the year, scoring two goals in a 4-2 win in the Campeonato Carioca.
Is he the Semenyo replacement?
“Yes and no,” South American soccer expert Tim Vickery told The Pitch Prospect’s Hawsbee and Jacobs on Thursday. “He’s not direct.
“I think he’s less of a winger. He’s less of a passing player, but he’s very promising.”
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“He was the big revelation of the Brazilian championship last year. He’s a huge figure, a really strong figure, left-footed.”
“He played almost exclusively on the right side and played inside. However, over the course of a very successful year, he eventually moved inside and played as a center forward.”
“I think his back-to-goal game still needs a lot of work. He’s not ready yet.”
Another possible transfer flop?
It’s not uncommon for Premier League clubs to take on prodigies from South America early on, with varying degrees of success.
Chelsea have been told £56million star Estevao Willian can reach Eden Hazard’s level after his move from Palmeiras.
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His ex-teammate Luis Guilherme failed to enjoy the same success following his £25million move to the Blues’ London rivals West Ham in 2024.
The 19-year-old was sent to Sporting this month after just 18 appearances for the Hammers, one start and zero goals.
Tottenham was also burned in the case of Alejo Véliz, who joined Spurs from Rosario Central for around £13m in August 2023.
The striker is now back on loan Argentine side, In eight appearances (all as a substitute) he scored just one Premier League goal.
Vickery, who publicly warned Tottenham against moving for Véliz too early three years ago, has now expressed similar concerns about Rayan.
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“I would just be a little worried.”
“I would be a bit worried about him moving now,” The Pitch Prospect’s Vickery added on the latter. “I think he probably needs a little bit more.
“I know the people around him and his club coach think he probably needs a bit more before he moves on.”
“We have seen the consequences of premature changes. People like Luis Guilherme at West Ham. Or Véliz at Tottenham, who is now negotiating with a Brazilian club.”
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“I would be a little worried about him, although the promise is huge. And it seems that what Bournemouth are doing to tempt Vasco, whose financial situation is not particularly good, is to be able to keep a stake in him.”
“The idea, of course, is that he moves to England, he does well and he is sold for a profit. And Vasco can keep a share in him and share in that profit.”
“So, we’ll see. I suspect the money will talk. If Bournemouth really, really want him, I suspect the money will talk.”
“I would just be a little worried. It could happen six months or a year too soon.”