Are Liverpool about to make not just one, but two high-profile attacking signings that supporters have been crying out for? As has been widely reported, long-term target Bradley Barcola will not sign a new contract at Paris Saint-Germain, making it increasingly likely that he will be heading to Merseyside. The Reds are preparing an opening offer of £80 million, with PSG holding out for closer to £145 million, likely to meet somewhere in the middle in the coming days and weeks.
Nevertheless, the France international primarily plays on the left, with a Mohamed Salah-shaped void still to be filled on the right. Well, as reported by Ben Jacobs and Alex Crook of TalkSport, Rayan of Bournemouth is "considered a dream target" for that role. The Brazilian does have an £85 million release clause in his contract, but this is not active until the summer of 2027 so, in order to sign him, they would have to negotiate a fee with the Cherries. Thus, were the 19 year old to swap the South Coast for Anfield, he would likely cost an eye-watering amount.
Why Bournemouth are under no pressure to sell
Put succinctly, Bournemouth do not want to sell any of their best players this summer, nor are under any pressure to do so, given how much money they have raised in the last 12 months or so.
Bournemouth selected sales during 2025/26
- Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid - £50 million.
- Miloš Kerkez to Liverpool - £40 million.
- Illya Zabarnyi to Paris Saint-Germain - £54.4 million.
- Dango Ouattara to Brentford - £42.5 million.
- Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City - £64 million.
From those five sales alone, the Cherries raised over £250 million, spending around half of that on new recruits, meaning they will have more PSR headroom than pretty much any other Premier League club. Bournemouth have also lost manager Andoni Iraola to Liverpool of course, and new head coach Marco Rose is preparing for a Europa League league phase campaign, the first time ever the club have qualified for any UEFA competition.
Thus, as also remains the case with Alex Scott and Eli Junior Kroupi, Bournemouth are only interested in parting company with Rayan if an offer comes in that they simply cannot refuse.
Why Liverpool have made Rayan their dream target
Rayan only joined Bournemouth from Vasco da Gama for £24.7 million, plus £5.6 million in add-ons, as recently as January, but his value has already sky-rocketed since then. In just 15 Premier League appearances for the Cherries, the teenager bagged five goals, netting against Aston Villa and Everton, before scoring in three successive matches against Leeds, Crystal Palace and Fulham. Add in his two assists, he recorded a goal contribution every 160 minutes.
Even before arriving, he had been one of the highest-rated young talents in Brazil. Rayan scored 14 Brasileirão goals during the 2025 campaign, a tally only bettered by three players, despite the fact Vasco finished down in 14th. His form in the Premier League then earned him international recognition too. He debuted for Brazil off the bench during pre-World Cup friendlies against Croatia and Panama, scoring against the latter at the iconic Maracanã in May.
Despite his inexperience, when Raphinha suffered a tournament-ending hamstring injury, it was Rayan who Carlo Ancelotti turned to. He replaced the Barcelona superstar off the bench against Haiti, before starting on the right-wing for all of their remaining matches against Scotland, Japan and Norway, as the Seleção exited in the round of 16.
Thus, following a meteoric rise, still a teenager, Rayan is clearly one of the most talented fowards on the planet. He is unlikely to be at Bournemouth for too long, so do Liverpool take a plunge now? With Barcola seemingly on his way, having also paid a combined £246 million to recruit Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz last summer, Andoni Iraola could be fielding a rather expensive front four.
Add us as a preferred source on Google