Newcastle United’s growing connection with Brazil has become one of the most exciting parts of the club’s rebuild, and supporters have quickly fallen in love with the talent the South American market continues to produce.
Bruno Guimarães and Joelinton have already written their names into club folklore, with Bruno lifting the Carabao Cup as captain and leading the next era with passion, quality and the kind of spirit fans dream of.
Their impact has not only strengthened the squad, but it has also opened the door for Newcastle to look deeper into a region that has become a goldmine for elite young footballers. Anyone paying attention to world football can see that Brazil and neighbouring nations are producing stars at an incredible rate, with players like Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo, Estevão and Julián Álvarez showing just how high the ceiling can be.
Newcastle cannot afford to sit back and watch other clubs snap up this talent, and it now appears that the club’s head of recruitment, Steve Nickson, is determined to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Fresh reports suggest that Newcastle have stepped up their interest in another rising Brazilian star, and this time it is Vasco da Gama’s teenage forward, Rayan Vitor. The iPaper’s Mark Douglas reported that Nickson has made an enquiry for the 19-year-old, who has enjoyed a breakthrough season in Brazil with an impressive return of 12 goals.
This follows earlier claims from October that Chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan has already given his approval for the move, showing how highly the player is regarded inside the club’s hierarchy. Rayan is one of the brightest prospects in the Brazilian Serie A, and Vasco da Gama know exactly what they have on their hands.
For that reason, they value him at around £25 million. In today’s market, and considering the prices top Premier League sides regularly pay for young talent, that fee feels more like an opportunity than a risk. It is even slightly cheaper than the amount Chelsea paid for Estevão, who has already begun to shine in England and earned a place in Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil squad. Newcastle will hope Rayan can be another player cut from the same cloth.
Nickson’s growing attention in Brazil is part of a wider project to identify elite South American talent before the richest clubs move in. Real Madrid, Manchester City, Chelsea and even Arsenal have been aggressively recruiting in the region, and Newcastle understand that if they want to stay competitive, they must build their own presence and relationships there.
The report also reveals that Rayan is not the only player the club have targeted. Newcastle came close to securing deals for two other highly rated talents recently, but financial limitations and Premier League spending rules made those moves impossible at the time.
The first was Palmeiras defender Vitor Reis, a young player with huge potential. He was reportedly very open to joining Newcastle, and early talks were positive, but the club’s financial position made completing the move unrealistic.
Manchester City, with far greater freedom and established influence in South America, moved quickly and secured the deal. The second was River Plate wonderkid Franco Mastantuono, who has already begun making his mark at Real Madrid this season.
Newcastle held discussions with River Plate last year, but again, budget constraints and the need to stay within PSR rules prevented the club from submitting a formal offer. Both players went on to join two of the strongest clubs in world football, which shows just how competitive this market has become.
After a summer where Newcastle were forced to make PSR-friendly sales, including the departures of Alexander Isak, Sean Longstaff and Lloyd Kelly, there is now hope that the club have opened enough financial space to re-enter the South American market more aggressively.
The ambition remains the same: identify and secure elite young talent before the rest of Europe catches on. If the club can land Rayan Vitor, it may signal a significant shift in Newcastle’s new recruitment strategy and reaffirm their determination to build a long-term project fueled by some of the brightest prospects in world football.
For supporters who have watched Bruno and Joelinton become icons at St James’ Park, the idea of another Brazilian joining the journey is an exciting and welcome prospect, and one that could shape the club’s future for years to come.
