Why Rayan chose Bournemouth

Bournemouth were ultimately reliant on Rayan himself to make his move to England happen.

The 19-year-old forward has impressed club officials since arriving at Vitality Stadium in a £24.7m deal from Vasco da Gama.

Eye-catching dribbles and shots have produced two goals and an assist in his first six games, meaning he is delivering output beyond expectations given he had not had a pre-season.

However, the move may not have gone through had it not been for the total buy-in of Rayan and his representatives.

Russian giants Zenit St Petersburg and clubs in Saudi Arabia were ready to rival Bournemouth in January, while English clubs in the Champions League wanted him to wait until the summer.

Yet, Rayan simply wanted to play regular football and avoid the fate of compatriots Endrick and Vitor Roque, who both needed to leave Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively to secure regular minutes during the formative years of their careers.

That is why Bournemouth appealed, with Rayan refusing alternative options in a bid to play regularly after Antoine Semenyo departed for Manchester City in January.

There remains cautious optimism on the south coast. Bournemouth's scouting suggested Rayan would be physically capable of adapting to the Premier League and, while he does not speak English, he has enough Spanish to communicate with manager Andoni Iraola.

The deal also includes a 100m euro (£86.9m) release clause that can be activated at any time, highlighting the possibility that he could leave if he realises his potential. However, Bournemouth would still expect to make a substantial profit after avoiding the inclusion of a sell-on clause.

Rayan, though, is not expected to push for a quick exit as he looks to build his career in Europe through a Bournemouth pathway that is becoming increasingly attractive to young players.