Defender set to join Corinthians lands in Brazil, calls it his dream

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Central do Timão

·9 January 2026

Defender set to join Corinthians lands in Brazil, calls it his dream

By Vinícios Cotrim | Central do Timão Editorial Team

Corinthians is expected to soon announce its first signing of the season. Even with the transfer ban in effect, the club has negotiated the arrival of defender Gabriel Paulista, who terminated his contract with Besiktas, from Turkey, and is now a free agent. He arrived in Brazil this Friday (9th) and spoke about his expectations for the announcement.

“The expectation is high. Obviously, there’s some nervousness about representing my childhood club and returning to Brazil after so many years. There’s some anxiety, but I’m already focused and looking forward to doing my best wearing the Corinthians shirt,” said the player after disembarking from the plane.

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The club from Parque São Jorge has been prohibited from registering new players since August of last year, which prevented the arrival of other signings besides Vitinho. However, with the advance of funds from Liga Forte União (LFU), the board has already paid the amount requested by Santos Laguna and is waiting for FIFA to officially end the transfer ban.

“I had already had some conversations with (Fabinho) Soldado, but we ended up going a while without talking, mainly because of the transfer ban, since Corinthians couldn’t sign anyone. Even so, I remained eager for this opportunity. I also had family matters that weighed on my decision to return to Brazil. Now, I’ll undergo medical exams and, if all goes well, sign the contract and defend this shirt, which is my biggest dream,” the player added to Meu Timão.

Gabriel Paulista was in Brazil at the end of last year to play in a charity match in São Caetano, in Greater São Paulo. The event also featured Gustavo Henrique and André Ramalho, future defensive partners of the likely new signing.

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