Guilherme Drude leaves Corinthians after six years in youth set-up | OneFootball

Forward Guilherme Drude has ended his journey with Corinthians. This Friday (11), the 19-year-old player used social media to say goodbye to the club where he spent the last six years of his development. Central do Timão investigated and confirmed the player’s departure, and for now, he still does not have a new club lined up.

Drude arrived at Parque São Jorge to join the Under-15 squad and went through different stages of the black-and-white youth academy until reaching the Under-20s. In 2023, during this process, the forward signed his first professional contract with Corinthians.

Photo: Rodrigo Gazzanel / Corinthians

The departure comes just over a month after the club registered a three-month extension to the player’s contract. The previous deal had ended on August 7, when Drude was still recovering from surgery performed in May to remove an accessory navicular bone from his right foot.

The renewal through November was intended to allow the forward to continue receiving all the necessary support during his recovery. The surgical procedure was chosen after the player dealt with recurring pain in the area.

Corinthians will keep a percentage of the economic rights

Even with the recently registered extension, Corinthians and Guilherme Drude agreed to bring the forward’s time at the club to an early end. According to reporting by Central do Timão, the black-and-white club will keep a share of the player’s economic rights, aiming at a possible future transfer.

The specific percentage retained by Corinthians in the agreement with Drude was not disclosed. In this type of release involving youth players, however, the club has been adopting the practice of keeping 20% of the economic rights. In the forward’s case, therefore, it is not possible to state at this time that this will be exactly the percentage retained.

Free to look for a new opportunity, Drude has not yet reached an agreement with another team. Before the injury, the youngster had drawn interest from clubs abroad. The forward’s Italian citizenship could also make a possible continuation of his career in European football easier.

Under-20 spell and recovery from surgery

One of Guilherme Drude’s main characteristics is his versatility in attack. The player can operate in all three positions up front, although he has most often been used on the left side.

For Corinthians’ Under-20 side, the forward has 12 appearances and one goal. In 2026, he was also part of Timãozinho’s squad for the Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior, but did not make it onto the field in the competition.

The season ended up being directly affected by the problem in his right foot. After the surgery performed in May, Drude went through the different stages of rehabilitation and reached the transition process to on-field work. As his contract was set to end while he was still recovering, Corinthians registered the contract extension at the beginning of August.

Before the injury, the club had not yet started talks over a long-term renewal. Now, even though he was still age-eligible to remain in the youth ranks through the 2028 Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior, Drude will continue his career away from Parque São Jorge.

In this way, the forward brings to a close a journey that began back in the Under-15s and was built over six years at Corinthians. The player’s next destination remains undefined.

Guilherme Drude posts farewell message

After confirming the end of his time at Corinthians, Guilherme Drude used social media to post a message of thanks. The forward recalled the six years he spent in the black-and-white youth ranks and highlighted the lessons, challenges, and people who were part of his journey at Parque São Jorge.

“Thank you, Corinthians! It was 6 years inside this club, living moments that will stay in my memory forever. They were years of great learning, challenges, achievements, difficult moments, and experiences that contributed to my development on and off the field.

I want to first thank God, my family, all the staff, teammates, coaching staff, and every person who was with me during this period.

Every moment, every piece of advice, every training session, and every match became part of my story. Today, I close this chapter with a peaceful heart and full of gratitude! Go Corinthians!”

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