CAHN unexpectedly recruits a striker once compared to Edinson Cavani

Brayan Perea adds aerial ability to CAHN's squad and brings a direct, powerful and fast attacking option for the new season.

CAHN is preparing to sign Brayan Perea to add an attacking option for the busy season ahead. The 2025/26 V.League champions were already the team with the most goals in the league, but coach Mano Polking needs more tactical options. According to domestic sources, Perea has completed his medical check-up and started training after leaving Port FC as a free agent.

The value of the Colombian striker lies in his ability to create a different focal point. Standing at 1m90 with a sturdy build, Perea can hold up the ball with his back to goal, pin down the center-back, and then open up space for the second line to surge forward. This is especially useful when CAHN faces deep-lying opponents who block the central area or force the capital team to switch to crosses and second balls.

Perea did not come to Vietnam solely on past reputation. In the 2025/26 Thai League, he scored 7 goals and provided 4 assists in 1,431 minutes, meaning one direct goal involvement every approximately 130 minutes. In the Thai League Cup, the 33-year-old striker scored 3 more goals in 4 matches, including a brace in the semi-final against Chonburi, helping Port FC win the title.

Perea's profile once created much higher expectations. He developed at Deportivo Cali, won the 2013 South American U20 Championship with Colombia, then moved to Lazio. Sports director Igli Tare once commented: “He reminds me of Cavani in his first two seasons at Palermo.”

This comparison comes from similarities in playing style. Like Cavani in his early years at Palermo, Perea has a tall frame, covers a wide area, is ready to press opponents, and often accelerates from the left or right channel into the center. That is an energetic striker still needing refinement, rather than a finished finisher in the penalty area.

It was precisely his turbulent journey that forged a more pragmatic version of Perea. When he found stability at Botev Vratsa in Bulgaria, he admitted: “I have matured a lot. Difficult times have helped me.” The statistics from Port FC in the most recent season depict Perea as a mobile center-forward rather than a striker who only stays in the penalty area.

For CAHN, Perea is a piece that helps change the attacking structure. Alan Grafite is strong in penetrating and finishing, while Perea can serve as a target man, contest balls, and drag defenders. When playing together or alternating, this duo creates space for Quang Hai, Leo Artur, and Dinh Bac to exploit around the penalty area.

However, European experience does not automatically guarantee success in the V.League. Perea is 33 years old, his record at the highest level in Europe is not outstanding, and he will have to adapt to the pace, weather, and Polking's pressing demands. The fans, coaching staff, and teammates will want to see hard work and passion from the Colombian striker to take CAHN to the pinnacle of glory once again.