Corinthians signing outperformed Maycon defensively in 2025, check it out | OneFootball

Practically agreed with Corinthians, the midfielder Matheus Pereira is set to return to Timão after a decade. The likely new addition to Dorival Júnior's team arrives to replace Maycon, who went to Atlético-MG. Compared to the former alvinegro player, Matheus Pereira had superior defensive numbers in 2025, when he played for Fortaleza.

Playing in the same field positions, both had similar roles in their respective clubs last season. Matheus Pereira was a regular starter in the final stretch of the Brasileirão for Fortaleza, playing 19 matches. Even with averages of 3.5 balls recovered and 1.1 interceptions per game, the midfielder could not prevent the relegation of Leão do Pici.

Maycon also gained minutes in the latter part of the season and was able to play in 25 games of the last Brazilian Championship. Although he helped Corinthians in other aspects, such as vision and playmaking, the midfielder fell short in defensive numbers. He recovered 2.4 balls and registered only 0.3 interceptions per game. All data are from Sofascore.

Departure of a Leader

Despite being behind Matheus Pereira in defensive numbers, Maycon's departure came as a “shock” to Dorival Júnior. The Corinthians coach saw the player as one of the leaders of the squad and advocated for his stay at Timão.

In 2025, Maycon scored three goals and also contributed with an assist. He ended his second stint at Corinthians with the title of the Copa do Brasil and left Parque São Jorge with four other trophies: three from the Paulistão (2017, 2018, and 2025) and one from the Brasileiro (2017).

Corinthians Strong in the Market

In addition to arranging Matheus Pereira to replace Maycon and announcing defender Gabriel Paulista, Corinthians is targeting two more reinforcements in this transfer window.

The Uruguayan right-back Pedro Milans from Peñarol is in advanced talks with Timão and should be announced in the coming days. Besides him, forward Kaio César from Al-Hilal is also being observed by the Corinthians management.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.