Liverpool’s summer recruitment drive is gathering pace as new manager Andoni Iraola targets a high-profile attacking addition to reshape the squad.
Iraola takes charge at Anfield for the 2026/27 campaign after Arne Slot paid the price for a disappointing fifth-place Premier League finish last season.
Slot’s inability to get the best from Liverpool’s £450m worth of summer additions ultimately cost him his job on Merseyside.
The 43-year-old Iraola arrives with an energetic, heavy-metal attacking philosophy that supporters hope will breathe new life into a side that struggled for cutting edge.
Mohamed Salah’s departure from Liverpool this summer has only amplified the urgent need for reinforcements on the right-hand side.
PSG winger Bradley Barcola has emerged as one option, with the 23-year-old openly expressing his desire to leave the Ligue 1 club, while Arsenal are also said to be monitoring him with a £60m fee mooted.
However, according to reports from Brazil, via Sport Witness, Liverpool have already begun scouting work on Bournemouth teenager Rayan, who only joined the Cherries for £35m back in January.
The report states that Iraola would love to bring the winger to Anfield this summer, though Bournemouth are extremely reluctant to part with the Brazilian talent.
The south-coast club have placed a £130m price tag on the 19-year-old, making any potential deal one of the most expensive in Liverpool’s history.
Rayan has already proven himself capable of thriving at the highest level, scoring five times in his first 15 Premier League appearances in England.
Bournemouth teammate Marcus Tavernier has dubbed Rayan “world-class,” and his statistics from 2025/26 back up that bold assessment convincingly.
The teenager created more chances than Barcola throughout the season and also posted a better conversion rate in front of goal during that period.
Rayan also recorded a higher cross success rate, reinforcing his all-round superiority over the PSG man in the attacking third.
While Barcola has featured regularly for PSG since 2023 and contributed to success domestically and in Europe, his profile presents a positional problem for Liverpool.
The Frenchman operates primarily on the left wing, an area already covered by the emergence of teenage Liverpool talent Rio Ngumoha, who logged 560 Premier League minutes among under-18 players in 2025/26.
Rayan, by contrast, offers the right-sided threat that Liverpool desperately need to fill the void left by the departing Salah.
Signing a player of Salah’s calibre and impact was always going to require significant investment, and a £130m outlay for Rayan reflects that reality.
Liverpool will likely look to negotiate Bournemouth’s asking price down, but the club’s hierarchy understands that top-level attacking talent does not come cheap in the current market.
With Iraola’s system demanding dynamism and directness in wide areas, Rayan’s profile appears to be a natural fit for what the new manager wants to build.
The club should channel its full focus toward securing a deal for Rayan rather than pursuing Barcola, giving Iraola the tools he needs to deliver Premier League success.