After initial enquiry, Corinthians open talks to sign Fortaleza goalkeeper

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Central do Timão

·16 January 2026

After initial enquiry, Corinthians open talks to sign Fortaleza goalkeeper

By Henrique Pereira / Central do Timão Editorial Team

Corinthians has initiated talks in recent days to try to facilitate the signing of goalkeeper João Ricardo, currently at Fortaleza. According to information released by O Povo, the 37-year-old player has been internally evaluated by the alvinegro club as the ideal candidate to serve as the immediate backup to Hugo Souza throughout the season.

The negotiations are being conducted by Marcelo Paz, the new football executive at Corinthians and former CEO of SAF at Fortaleza, and are taking place after an initial inquiry made in recent days. The progress of the talks occurred after the approval of coach Dorival Júnior, who knows the goalkeeper well from working with him in 2022, a period when both were at Ceará.

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Photo: Mateus Lotif/Fortaleza

So far, Timão has not yet formalized an official proposal to Fortaleza. The strategy of the São Paulo club is to advance in a business model similar to the one used in the signing of Matheus Pereira, with a loan until the end of 2026 and Corinthians fully assuming the payment of the athlete's salaries.

João Ricardo has a contract with Fortaleza until December 2027 and is currently recovering from shoulder surgery. The goalkeeper receives wages considered high for the standards of Série B, a factor that also weighs in the discussions.

The search for a more experienced name for the position is aligned with the planning of coach Dorival Júnior. In an interview with the channel Café do Setorista, the coach highlighted the desire to have at least two high-level options per position, promoting healthy competition within the squad. Today, in addition to Hugo Souza, Corinthians has young players Matheus Donelli, Felipe Longo, and Kauê, all from the youth categories.

Since joining Fortaleza in 2023, the goalkeeper has played 154 matches and has established himself as one of the main names of the team in recent seasons. With the Ceará club, he won the 2023 Campeonato Cearense and the 2024 Copa do Nordeste, and was also an important part of the campaign for the runner-up in the 2024 Copa Sudamericana and the fourth place in the 2024 Campeonato Brasileiro.

While monitoring the market for the goalkeeper position, Corinthians is also advancing on other fronts. The club has already secured the signing of defender Gabriel Paulista and is finalizing the arrivals of right-back Pedro Milans, midfielder Matheus Pereira, and forward Kaio César from Al-Hilal.

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