Bournemouth's Rayan admits lifelong United support as Pochettino eyes January rebuild

Bournemouth forward Rayan has publicly declared himself a lifelong Manchester United supporter, offering Mauricio Pochettino an unexpected advantage should the club move for the 20-year-old Brazilian — though any deal is unlikely to materialise before next summer.

Speaking to ESPN Brasil alongside club-mate Evanilson, Rayan described telling his family about his affinity for the club. “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,” he said. The reason, he explained, was straightforward: Cristiano Ronaldo. “I wanted to go in just to see what it was like, to see what the stadium was like, to step onto the pitch.”

The admission carries a certain irony. Rayan was on United’s radar while still at Vasco da Gama, but the club did not follow up with an offer. Bournemouth moved instead, and the forward has since developed into one of the most coveted young attackers in the Premier League — including scoring in the Cherries’ 3-0 win at Old Trafford last month. “I said, ‘Wow, we’ve beaten Manchester United, the team I’ve always supported,’” he added.

Bournemouth have no intention of selling Rayan in January, meaning Pochettino will likely have to wait until the summer to pursue him seriously. In the short term, the new United head coach is expected to focus his January business on defensive reinforcements. An injury-hit backline — compounded by the summer failure to sign cover for Luke Shaw — has forced the club to act in the winter window despite their usual reluctance to do so.

Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw are all potentially in their final seasons at the club, making the back line a priority in both the immediate and longer term. Attacking additions are also being considered, with Como’s Argentine playmaker Nico Paz heavily linked, but a big-name striker is expected to wait until summer — particularly with Benjamin Sesko currently sidelined through injury.

United invested heavily in their attack during 2025, bringing in Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, before shifting focus to midfield in the summer with the arrivals of Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans. The January window now represents the start of a longer structural rebuild under Pochettino, with the Argentine manager set to have direct input into recruitment decisions.