Liverpool contact Rayan as Mohamed Salah replacement
Liverpool have made contact over a deal for Bournemouth winger Rayan as they hunt a Liverpool Mohamed Salah replacement. TEAMtalk reports the Reds sought new head coach Andoni Iraola’s view on the 19-year-old Brazilian, whose £130m release clause does not become active until 2027.
Key Takeaways
- Liverpool have made summer enquiries for Bournemouth’s Rayan while exploring long-term options after Mohamed Salah.
- New boss Andoni Iraola, who coached Rayan at Bournemouth, rates his ceiling as exceptionally high.
- Rayan’s £130m release clause is inactive until 2027, so Bournemouth control any sale this window.
- Top targets Yan Diomande and Bradley Barcola remain stalled, pushing Liverpool toward backup options.
The exclusive from TEAMtalk puts Rayan firmly on Liverpool’s radar after a breakthrough half-season on the south coast. It also fits a wider Anfield scramble covered across Celebrity Breaking News.
Why are Liverpool turning to Rayan now?
Salah’s Anfield exit has left a right-wing vacancy that still is not filled, with Forbes noting the club has yet to secure a clear successor as the 2026/27 season nears.
Football365 says Diomande’s preference for Paris Saint-Germain and slow Barcola talks have forced Liverpool to widen the net. Rayan is that next name after earlier links to Yankuba Minteh, Said El Mala, Matias Fernandez-Pardo and Iliman Ndiaye.
Liverpool already signed Spain international Victor Munoz from Osasuna for around €40m, but sources say that alone will not close the Salah-shaped gap.
What would a Rayan deal actually look like?
TEAMtalk says Liverpool admired Rayan before his January move from Vasco da Gama, only for Bournemouth to move first. Interest never cooled after March reporting, and contact has now been renewed this summer.
In 13 Premier League starts he posted five goals and two assists, then earned a Brazil call-up for the 2026 World Cup. Barcelona, Bayern Munich and PSG are also monitoring him.
Bournemouth view him as untouchable after only six months. His £130m (€153m) clause does not activate until 2027, leaving the Cherries with full control this summer.
Does Iraola change Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah replacement plan?
Iraola worked closely with Rayan while settling him into English football and, per TEAMtalk, remains a huge admirer who believes the teenager’s ceiling is exceptionally high.
Diomande is still framed as the dream target, though Leipzig would seek a fee near the Bundesliga record if he leaves. Liverpool hope a PSG deal for Diomande could yet unlock Barcola.
Until those paths clear, Rayan is a high-upside Plan B: Premier League-ready, coach-approved, and expensive enough that any move would need Bournemouth’s blessing long before 2027.