Bournemouth sign Brazilian teenager Rayan for £24.7m

The Cherries were beaten by rival clubs in Saudi Arabia and Russia to sign the 19-year-old Brazilian despite fierce opposition from other European clubs.

After paying them £32 million to sign Rayan’s compatriot and fellow striker Evanilson from Porto in 2024, this is Bournemouth’s joint-second biggest transfer.

Rayan replaces Antoine Semenyo, who left Manchester City for about £65 million earlier this month. He will move to the south coast.

Although the teenager can play either flank, he is primarily a left-footed center-forward. In 34 top-flight matches played by Brazil’s under-20s last year, the international scored 14 goals.

He expressed his happiness and awe at being present, particularly given the sporting project they had planned for me.

Rayan has already demonstrated impressive consistency and maturity for his level, according to Tiago Pinto, president of football operations at Bournemouth.

Greek goalkeeper Christos Mandas has also signed for Lazio on loan from the Italian serie A side.

The 24-year-old joins until the end of the season with a further purchase option. He becomes the club’s first Greek player.

If they choose not to sign him on a permanent deal, the Cherries will have to pay an additional £860, 000.

He will cost £16 million if they decide to make the move permanent.

Since joining from OFI in Greece, Mandas has won two international caps and made 33 appearances for Lazio.

He said, “When I knew Bournemouth were interested, I wanted to come here.”

I like the way the team plays, so it’s the right decision because it feels like a magical atmosphere between the players and the fans.