Manchester United had Rayan on their radar when he was still at Vasco da Gama. They never followed up with an offer, and Bournemouth eventually got their hands on the Brazilian.
Now, nearly ten months after his move to England, the 20-year-old has revealed something interesting: United are the club he’s always supported in the Premier League.
And if that wasn’t enough, Rayan just scored against them in a 3-0 victory at Old Trafford. Quite a way to fulfil a childhood dream.
Rayan reveals Manchester United connection
During an interview alongside Bournemouth teammate Evanilson for ESPN Brazil, Rayan was asked about that October victory.
The youngster explained he’d been discussing the experience with his family, given his affection for the opposition.
“Yeah, it’s true, that’s exactly how it feels. I was even talking to the people at home, my wife and the people who are with me, and I told them I’ve always supported Manchester United here in England.”
The interviewer was surprised and asked whether that was really the case.
“Yes, really,” Rayan replied. And why United? “Because of Cristiano Ronaldo.”
The 20-year-old then explained what went through his mind after Bournemouth’s victory.
“Then I said, ‘Wow, we’ve beaten Manchester United, the team I’ve always supported.'”
Evanilson reminded him that they’d done it away from home, too. Rayan continued:
“But it’s there, too. At Old Trafford, which was a dream of mine to play at. It was a dream come true.”
Asked whether he remembered Ronaldo when he first walked into the stadium, the youngster didn’t hesitate.
“Yes, yes, yes, I remembered him. I wanted to go in just to see what it was like, to see what the stadium was like, to step onto the pitch.”
There was even a little joke about Old Trafford looking rather old these days. “Yeah, true,” Rayan admitted.
Evanilson quickly jumped in to defend the place, saying it was still a beautiful stadium. Rayan agreed: “Still brilliant.”
Manchester United had their chance – Could they get another?
There’s an interesting transfer angle to all of this. Back in January, we covered that Manchester United were following Rayan at Vasco. They hadn’t submitted an official proposal though, and Bournemouth eventually won the race to sign him.
That move was already being viewed as a possible stepping stone. Globo Esporte explained at the time that Rayan’s representatives believed the Premier League could eventually open doors to Europe’s biggest clubs.
And the speculation hasn’t exactly gone away. Manchester United is frequently seen alongside Liverpool and Arsenal in headlines linking Rayan to a Big Six transfer. The player himself has talked about it this year, apparently seeing a move with good eyes.
But Bournemouth have shown no desire to sell of course. And if they do, it won’t be cheap. Still, should the Red Devils ever return for him, that heartful connection might be worth remembering.
