Rayan

Rayan takes defenders on rather than looking for the simpler pass, trusting a change of direction to buy himself half a yard in situations where hesitation would let a full back recover. That confidence made him the youngest player to represent Vasco da Gama's first team this century, a record that says plenty about how far ahead of his age group he already looked. Goals and assists followed quickly once he settled, rather than after a long period of adjustment most teenagers need.

The question now is whether that same fearlessness survives regular contact with Premier League defenders built specifically to stop exactly this kind of dribbler. Brazilian football gave him room to experiment that English full backs will not offer so freely. Early performances suggest the instinct travels. Whether it still does once opponents have properly studied him is the more honest test.