Corinthians back off in talks for Bahia striker, deal unlikely to happen

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Central do Timão

·3 February 2026

Corinthians back off in talks for Bahia striker, deal unlikely to happen

By Henrique Vigliotti and Henrique Pereira / Central do Timão Editorial Team

The negotiation between Corinthians and Bahia for the forward Kayky is unlikely to progress and is already considered closed internally at Parque São Jorge, according to information from the Central do Timão. After evaluating the situation behind the scenes, the alvinegra management decided to step back from the talks, which lost momentum and did not continue, despite an initial understanding led by the football department.

The matter was handled cautiously within the club, and the retreat was decided after internal disagreements. The potential signing of the player is seen as another frustrated negotiation under the presidency of Osmar Stábile, this time influenced by factors beyond the sporting aspect.

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Photo: Felipe Oliveira/EC Bahia

Behind the scenes, the situation is pointed out as a direct consequence of the poor relationship established with the managers of Bahia's SAF due to financial issues. Additionally, last year, Corinthians broke off relations with the City Group after the conglomerate paid the R$ 14 million release clause for the national market and signed the young Kauê Furquim, then a promising player from the alvinegra youth categories.

Corinthians' dissatisfaction arose because the move happened amid contract renewal negotiations for the athlete, who was already being considered for professional team matches. Following the episode, Corinthians took action against Bahia at the National Chamber of Resolutions and Disputes (CNRD), an entity linked to the CBF, alleging poaching and requesting the payment of the 50 million euro clause stipulated for the international market, arguing that the City Group is a foreign conglomerate.

According to Uol Esporte, besides the institutional break with the City Group, Corinthians also ended the relationship with Kauê Furquim's staff, the same that manages Kayky's career. These factors weighed in for Osmar Stábile to adopt a strict stance and veto the advancement of negotiations for the Bahia forward.

Internally, the management treats Kayky merely as an athlete offered to the club. However, there was a verbal agreement for the forward's signing, made by the alvinegra football department. Even so, the matter began to be handled cautiously by executive Marcelo Paz, especially after the recent failed negotiation for São Paulo's midfielder Alisson.

Revealed in Fluminense's youth categories, Kayky gained prominence in 2020 as one of the protagonists in winning the Brazilian Under-17 Championship for the Laranjeiras club. Subsequently, he was promoted to the professional squad, for which he played 37 matches, scoring four goals and providing four assists. In April 2021, the forward was sold to Manchester City, England, for a fixed €10 million (about R$ 66.5 million at the time), in a deal that kept the English club with 80% of the player's economic rights.

However, on the blue side of Manchester, he did not have many opportunities. In the professional team, led by the Spaniard Pep Guardiola, he played only two matches. Without continuity in the senior squad, he began to gain playing time in the English club's youth categories. There, he played for the Under-19, 21, and 23 teams, scoring seven goals and providing four assists in 18 matches.

In 2022, he was loaned by the City Group to Paços de Ferreira, Portugal, where he did not have a standout performance. He played nine matches and scored no goals. In the 2023 season, he returned to Manchester City and was loaned to Bahia. That year, he scored four goals and provided five assists in 28 games.

In that same year, in July, he suffered a knee ligament injury, which interrupted his rise at Bahia. He returned to England to treat the injury and was then loaned to Sparta Rotterdam, Netherlands. In the Dutch team, he played seven matches and scored no goals. In 2025, he returned to play for Bahia, scoring two goals and providing seven assists in 47 matches. In total, he scored six goals and provided 12 assists in 76 matches for the northeastern team.

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