Corinthians sign Ponte Preta trio for youth ranks, await transfer ban end | OneFootball

Even though it is currently unable to register new players, Corinthians is already moving to strengthen its youth academy. The club has agreements in place with Romulo Elisio, Lucas Emanuel, and Nicolas Lopes, all of whom recently played for Ponte Preta, and intends to make the registrations official as soon as it manages to lift the three transfer bans currently in effect.

The information was reported by TMC. According to the outlet, Romulo and Lucas have already terminated their contracts with the Campinas-based team and are training with the black-and-white squad. Nicolas, meanwhile, has also reached an agreement with Timão and has been attending the youth academy training center.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca / Agência Corinthians

The plan involves two age groups. Romulo and Lucas are initially joining as options for the Under-20s, while Nicolas, 16, is in the plans for the Under-17s.

Despite the agreements, none of the three can be registered while the sanctions remain active. For that reason, the youngsters’ official arrival is directly dependent on resolving the financial issues that caused the bans.

Trio agrees to wait for Corinthians

The current situation has led Corinthians to adopt a different strategy in the youth market. Instead of waiting for the sanctions to be lifted before starting negotiations, the club agreed in advance on terms with the players and arranged for the registrations to be completed after clearance is granted.

Also according to TMC, all three received interest from other teams but agreed to wait for Alvinegro’s situation to be regularized. The wait could even extend through the rest of 2026 and into early 2027 if the bans are not resolved sooner.

The reduced Under-20 schedule also played a role in the decision. After finishing its participation in the Brazilian Championship for the age group, Corinthians is now only playing in the São Paulo State Under-20 Championship, which has already reached the knockout stage.

As a result, the possibility of the players missing a larger number of matches during the period without registration was reduced, a factor that helped in talks for them to wait while the club resolves its pending issues.

Who the three agreed players are

Among the names lined up, Romulo Elisio is a defensive midfielder born in 2007. Before Ponte Preta, he spent time in the youth systems of Taquaritinga, Novorizontino, Paulínia, and Ceará.

The youngster also earned space in Macaca’s first team, for which he made three appearances. Because of his age, he will still be eligible to play in youth competitions through the 2028 Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior.

Lucas Emanuel, meanwhile, was born in 2008 and plays in midfield. Unlike Romulo, he developed in Campinas and made eight appearances for Ponte Preta’s first team.

One of those appearances came precisely against Corinthians, in the opening round of the 2026 São Paulo State Championship. The midfielder will remain eligible for youth categories through the 2029 Copinha.

The youngest of the trio is Nicolas Lopes. Born in 2010, the midfielder is 16 and had been wearing the No. 10 shirt for Ponte Preta’s Under-17 side.

This season, Nicolas has eight goals in 15 matches for the age group. Two of them came in a 2-2 draw against Palmeiras. Because of his age, the player still has a long development path ahead and will be able to compete in youth tournaments through the 2031 Copinha.

Transfer bans prevent registrations

To turn the agreements into reinforcements that are actually available, Corinthians must first resolve the three bans that currently prevent the registration of new players.

According to figures compiled by TMC, the outstanding debts behind the sanctions amount to approximately R$ 21.9 million.

One of them is linked to Philadelphia Union of the United States, over the signing of defensive midfielder José Martínez. The reported debt is US$1.425 million, plus US$100,000 in legal costs, totaling approximately R$7.7 million based on the conversion used by the outlet.

Another ban involves Denmark’s Midtjylland, over the transfer of defensive midfielder Charles. In this case, the amount is €1 million, plus US$85,000 in legal costs, for a total estimated at approximately R$6.2 million.

The third restriction was imposed by the National Chamber for Dispute Resolution (CNRD) and is related to an overdue installment under an agreement with creditors. The reported amount is approximately R$8 million.

Only after the situations underpinning the bans are regularized will Corinthians be able to register new players.

Agreements move youth planning forward

While working to resolve the sanctions, Corinthians is trying to prevent the ban period from completely paralyzing planning for its youth divisions.

The agreements with Romulo Elisio, Lucas Emanuel, and Nicolas Lopes follow that logic. The club is securing in advance players it considers interesting for the development process, while making the formal registrations conditional on being cleared to register athletes again.

Romulo and Lucas also arrive with first-team experience, while Nicolas appears as a younger prospect for the Under-17s.

Thus, all three can use the club’s facilities under the terms of their respective agreements, but their availability for official matches will depend on the end of the transfer bans. Until then, Corinthians will remain unable to register the trio or any other new player.

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