Bournemouth star Rayan reacts as official goodbye message sent
Bournemouth forward Rayan has sent a message of support to Philippe Coutinho after he announced that he intends to terminate his contract at Vasco da Gama.
Rayan has instantly turned into a key man for Bournemouth since he arrived from Brazilian club Vasco for around £25million last month.
The Brazil youth international helped the Cherries to a 2-0 win against Wolves with an assist on his debut, and has since scored in consecutive matches against Aston Villa and Everton.
He was a teammate of former Liverpool and Barcelona star Coutinho at Vasco, with the pair playing together on 54 occasions between 2024 and 2026.
Coutinho officially left Aston Villa last summer to return to Vasco on a permanent basis, but his dreams of success with his boyhood club have been crushed over the last few months.
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Rayan reaches out to Philippe Coutinho after emotional exit statement
Coutinho impressed last season after leaving Villa, with 11 goals and five assists in 56 appearances across all competitions for Vasco.
The 2026 campaign has not gone to plan so far, though, as they occupy 17th in the Brazilian Serie A right now, and the 33-year-old has been booed and criticised by their fans for some sub-par recent performances.
After reports emerged around his impending departure earlier in the week, Coutinho took to Instagram on Wednesday to release an emotional statement that confirmed the plans to terminate his Vasco contract.
Former teammate Rayan was among the stars to react, replying with a message that read: “Cabeça erguida meu irmão, você é o cara!” which translates to: “Head up my brother, you’re the man!”
Rayan sought advice from Coutinho before Bournemouth move
Several big-name stars have made their name in Vasco’s academy and first-team before Rayan, namely the likes of Coutinho, Romario, Edmundo and Douglas Luiz.
He is the latest to make the step to European football in the hope of becoming one of the world’s best players, which Coutinho was for a certain moment in time during his spell at Liverpool.
It comes as little surprise to learn that, prior to his Cherries move, Rayan revealed that he had asked the 33-year-old for advice over a move in an interview with Globo.
He said: “I ask him (Coutinho) a lot (about moving to Europe). Some players go to Europe but end up coming straight back.
“So I say: ‘Coutinho, help me. I want to make a name for myself too.'”
Rayan certainly looks set to make waves in European football in the near future, as long as he continues the stellar form that he has shown over the last month.