Corinthians release forward, near 40 academy exits in 2026 | OneFootball

Late this Wednesday afternoon (1), Corinthians published in the CBF’s Daily Informative Bulletin (BID) the contract termination of 18-year-old forward Kawê Klayver. The player was part of a list of 29 athletes no longer in the club’s plans after the end of the 2026 Copa São Paulo de Futebol Jr. Of that total, only Luis Paulo, Ygor Lessa, Kaio Vinicius, Felipe Romio, and Léo Agostinho still have ties with Alvinegro and are seeking new destinations to continue their careers.

Regarding Kawe’s departure, Central do Timão is still investigating the player’s new destination and what percentage of his economic rights Corinthians will retain with an eye on a future transfer. This article will be updated if new information emerges. The deal in question is part of the alignment of executive Erasmo Damiani’s management of the department, which has been releasing players who are not in the plans and have had little playing time in the youth ranks while, on the other hand, retaining part of their rights and at the same time reducing costs.

Photo: Rodrigo Gazzanel/Corinthians Agency

In the Under-20 category, at the moment, coach William Batista has the following available options for the attacking sector: Nicollas, Luiz Fernando “Luizinho,” Luiz Fábio “Favela,” Jonathan “Dodô,” Nicolas Araújo, Gustavo Corrêa, and Cristian Júnior. Drude and Gui Bom are recovering from injury in the medical department.

Last year, for the Under-17s, Kawê Klayver scored eight goals and provided three assists. Starting every match, he recorded 22 wins, six draws, and nine losses, posting a 65% success rate. Last year, the only players who scored more goals than him in the category were midfielder Gui Amorim (19), forward Gui Bom (11), and center-back Iago Machado (9).

Youth academy overhaul

In March of this year, Central do Timão published an exclusive report stating that, in January, 34 players, considering the Under-17 and Under-20 squads, terminated their contracts with Timão, which had generated savings of R$ 1.9 million for the club’s coffers. In the sector, the annual cost-cutting target set by the Corinthians board is close to R$ 9 million, as the outlet learned at the time.

Across all categories, from June to December 2025, 182 players were released, generating a projected annual savings of R$ 3.7 million for the youth development department.

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