The coach allowed the striker to stay in May, thus avoiding an early sale; the club is now asking Zenit for around 327 million reais to release the jewel
Fernando Diniz’s intuition proved valuable – literally – to Vasco da Gama’s coffers. If six months ago the club was talking about sales of around R$100 million, today the financial reality has radically changed thanks to Rayan’s evolution. Last week, Cruz-Maltina’s board rejected a 200 million reais offer from Russia’s Zenit and set a new price to release its crown jewel: around 327 million reais. This appreciation of almost 300% confirms the thesis defended by the coach last May, when he protected the athlete from the first negotiations.
At that time, as Rayan received requests from clubs like Besiktas, Diniz publicized the sale of the young man as a strategic mistake. The coach said the player was “indispensable” and “irreplaceable”, warning that trading him at this time would mean losing money and technical quality.
“Selling Rayan now is selling at a value much lower than its value. You are not hiring another Rayan,” Commander Vasco prophesied at the time.
The strategy defined by the management of Pedrinho and Felipe, aligned with the technical committee, involved a crucial tactical change. Famous from the base, Rayan fluctuated playing on the right wing, but found his best football when he was moved to the center of the attack in 2025. The result of this bet appeared in the numbers and awards: the striker finished the season voted revelation of the Brazilian Championship and became top scorer of the Copa do Brasil.
Diniz renews his call for the jewel of Vasco
Today, in the face of European harassment, Diniz renews his appeal, this time directed against the athlete himself and his family. The coach understands that Rayan must stay at São Januário at least until the end of 2026 to consolidate his training. “If Rayan were my son, I would say to stay at Vasco for a while longer,” advised Diniz, predicting that the player will leave the club at the age of 20, more mature and probably with calls for the Brazilian national team on his CV.
Vasco knows that keeping the top scorer will be a difficult task, but the fine and the performance on the pitch give them the confidence to negotiate. For Diniz, the calculation is simple: the market does not offer an adequate replacement.
“Rayan today must be worth 40 million euros. How are we going to recruit a player who is worth 40 million euros?” asked the coach, stressing that the number 77 is the central pillar of his planning for next year.
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