Barcelona revive interest in South American wonderkid who Deco wanted years ago
According to SPORT, Barcelona’s long-standing focus on the South American market continues to shape their schedule, and one name that has resurfaced again is Rayan, the highly-rated 19-year-old winger currently shining at Vasco da Gama.
The young Brazilian has experienced a remarkable rise in recent months and has established himself as one of his country’s most striking prospects.
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Rayan’s impact has been officially recognized in Brazil, where he recently won the Brasileirão Revelation 2025 prize.
His performances in the home stretch of the season confirmed what scouts across Europe already suspected: Vasco da Gama is nurturing a special talent capable of making the leap to elite football in the near future.
A long-standing interest
In Barcelona, Rayan’s development has been closely monitored. His progress has not gone unnoticed at Barcelona, not least because the club’s sporting director Deco knows the player better than anyone.
It is said that Deco personally recommended him in 2022, at a time when he was still acting as an external advisor to President Joan Laporta and the player himself was only 15 years old.
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Within the club, Rayan is considered a high-profile prospect who fits the profile Barcelona are actively seeking.
Rayan is back on the Barcelona agenda. (Photo by Lucas Figueiredo/Getty Images)
Rayan’s name had already been mentioned internally during the previous summer transfer window.
However, circumstances led Barcelona to go in a different direction, with Roony Bardghji eventually arriving in his place. Since then, the tactical landscape of the club has changed.
Tactical change at Barcelona
As such, Flick began to experiment with Lamine Yamal in more central roles, using him as an attacking midfielder, notably in the win against Real Betis.
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If this approach proves effective consistently, Barcelona will need a natural option to occupy the right flank and maintain balance in attack.
This is where Rayan’s profile becomes particularly relevant.
A direct and intelligent winger, capable of adapting to multiple attacking roles, he represents the kind of striker Barcelona believe can complement their young core.
