Antoine Semenyo (£7.8m) was the latest name to leave Bournemouth’s assembly line for global giants. The young duo then leaves Ryan Vitor (£5.5 million) and Alex Toth (£5.0 million).
The first is a 19-year-old Brazilian, initially costing £24.7 million from Vasco da Gama. The latter is 20 years old and needed another £10.4m to move to Hungarian side Ferencvaros.
Further affected by injuries to Justin Kluivert (£7.0 million), Marcus Tavernier (£5.4 million) and Tyler Adams (£4.9m), the Cherries could add even more names before the transfer window closes on Monday.
So can these attackers establish themselves quickly and what impact will they have in Fantasy Premier League (FPL)?
Below we try to answer these questions.
WHO ARE RAYAN + TOTH?
Some big clubs were enthusiastic about the signing of Rayan. A senior debut in 2023 at 16 years and 169 days made him the youngest player in Vasco history, and he went on to score 20 goals in 57 appearances during a breakout performance in 2025.
Rayan is lean, strong and fast. Some in Brazil think he will be next Estevao (£6.4 million). But perhaps former Inter striker Adriano is a more accurate comparison. If he changes the Pro Evo 6 version, Bournemouth will be in dreamland.
Remember Robbie Keane? Well, he arrived in Ferencvaros last January and quickly saw potential in Toth.
In the second half of 2024/25, Toth started playing in midfield alongside Naby Keita. Two goals and eight assists in fifteen starts helped the Budapest club to a seventh consecutive league title.
Since then, he has scored past Qarabag in the Champions League qualifiers, achieved a further three attacking results and earned nine caps for Hungary.
HOW DO THEY FIT WITH BOURNEMOUTH?
The Cherries like to develop youngsters before they make huge profits. Add Illya Zabarnyi, Dean Huijsen Dango Ouattara (£5.8 million), Nathan Ake (£5.3 million), Dominic Solanke (£7.2 million) and Milos Kerkez (£5.6 million) for the sale of Semenyo.
So they are smart when making investments; there is a plan.
The bipedal Toth is good at pressing. He came on against Liverpool, but it’s hard to read that little cameo. Instead, head coach Andoni Iraola’s words indicate that he sees Toth as a central midfielder.
“Ideally he is number eight. But when you’re a number eight, sometimes you have to defend like a six and attack like a number ten. So I think he is ready to adapt to one of the three positions. But once we have the player, we see him playing and we see him training, we will probably try to find his best position.” – Andoni Iraola on Alex Toth’s ideal position
During a conversation with the BBCHungarian football journalist Bence Bocsak also calls Toth a ‘number eight’, although there is enough versatility to allow him to evolve in this new environment.
“He can play as a number eight, he can be a box-to-box player, but he has played as a holding player in the past. I don’t think he will be a destroyer type, and as a holding midfielder he is more of a deep-lying creator. And he can also play more advanced as a number ten.”
“He has played all those roles for Ferencvaros, but more importantly, he has played all those roles for the Hungarian national team, against Portugal and other big countries.” – Bence Bocsak
As for Rayan, he is primarily a right-sided forward who cuts in on his left foot. But he is increasingly being used through the middle as a centre-forward.
“He’s tall, fast, left-footed, hits the ball well, and he’s starting to get into the penalty area and score with his head. He can play wide, as a false nine, as a number nine, or on the other flank. And I really like him as a person too.” – Vasco head coach Fernando Diniz
Hopefully an easing of Premier League life will indicate what Iraola thinks he is. You might imagine it would be better to introduce him slowly from a wide position, rather than using him ruthlessly as a striker.
Above: Opta analyst with the positions of Rayan’s shots from 2025
Is Rayan a direct replacement for Semenyo? The new signing at Manchester City is a shooting machine, having scored the third most attempts last season (125), and he is currently third for putting them on target this time (29).
Likewise, FBref says Rayan put an end to the Brazilian Serie A 2025 campaign in second place.
Although Semenyo is a dribbler, this teenager is more about sheer physical strength than transitions.
And of course there are still some weaknesses that need to be developed. It is said that he sometimes turns off a bit, and South American expert Tim Vickery thinks he needs to improve with his back to the goal. There are even concerns that he may leave a year early.
WHERE DID KROUPI PLAY?
At a time when 3-5-2 and 4-4-2 are popular FPL formations, a cheap attacker who plays regularly, such as That is, Junior Kroupi (£4.6 million), is a piece of gold. He scored seven times in this half season, of which only eight attackers can beat.
Many managers want him now because of Bournemouth’s very attractive opponents. They are at the top of our Fixture Ticker over the next eight game weeks.
Of all players with more than one strike to his name, only Erling Haaland (£15.0m) is at a better rate than Kroupi’s 109.3 minutes per goal.
He has three starts in a row, but will this continue if Bournemouth stop buying players? And where will he play?
Usually he is a centre-forward, but he is occasionally named in lineups instead Evanilson (£7.0m), although the Brazilian has scored three goals in four games. It has been a productive period with Kroupi starting further back, as an attacking midfielder.
Above: State bomb says almost all of Kroupi’s competitive starts were up front, or as ‘number ten’
Iraola immediately put him in Kluivert’s position and the Dutchman is out for a few more months. But there is now the option to let Toth play there, or use the Hungarian in the engine room Alex Scott (£5.0m) to move up.
Looking around, Amine Adli‘s (£5.4m) last starts were solely on the left wing, David Brooks (£5.0m) could make Gameweek 24 and is largely on the right, while Iraola ideally wants Alex Jimenez (£4.5m) back in his defence.
“I think he has done very well as a winger. You know, I prefer him as a full-back, but I think he is helping us a lot at the moment and he is good.” – Andoni Iraola on Alex Jimenez
The most difficult to name is Tavernier, whose versatility combines appearances on the right, with some as a ‘number eight’ or a ‘number ten’. Once the 26-year-old has recovered at the end of February, he can go in any direction.
So while Kroupi is currently doing well as a second striker, this may not last for more than a few games. And he is unlikely to supplant the in-form Evanilson in Iraola’s preferred position.
“I think if you ask me what his position is, I think he is a striker. But it is true that he has played some games with us as a kind of second striker. He has played with the French U23s, a little bit outside. But he is a striker for me, his best qualities. He will be a number nine for me.”
“I’m happy with his development and I think he can play for us in this kind of second striker position, attacking number ten, if you like. But he has always played as number nine.” – Andoni Iraola about Eli Junior Kroupi
Alternatively, if Rayan isn’t a direct Semenyo replacement on the left, perhaps Kroupi will prove to be one. After all, he plays there for France Under-21s and often leans in that direction for his club.
There isn’t much competition at that spot, but assuming he’ll move there anytime soon is pure guesswork.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Bournemouth suffered a terrible 11-game winless slump until the final three games, where moving Kroupi behind Evanilson almost made it a trio of wins. A bicycle kick in stoppage time was the only thing they were denied.
Iraola therefore has no direct reason to change this combination. This is good for Kroupi, although it is less the case that the youngster repeatedly comes off the court around the 60-70 minute mark. Also somewhat off-putting are the complications of newcomers, plus Tavernier’s eventual return. In summary, in the short term he’s probably fine, but in the medium to long term things get murkier.
For Rayan and Toth, the only question is how long their adjustment period will last. We will keep an eye on Toth’s position in the coming weeks, and whether Rayan will indeed move to the right flank. The latter is certainly something we’ll keep an eye on, given his Semenyo-esque, shot-happy approach at Vasco.
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