Iago Machado on the rise at Corinthians, tracked by European giants | OneFootball

At 17 years old, Iago Machado has been earning more and more space at Corinthians and is already emerging as one of the team’s main names this season. The center-back’s development especially caught the attention of Fernando Diniz, who gave the youngster the chance to start two matches for the first team against Flamengo and Fluminense in the Brazilian Championship.

His performances have raised fans’ expectations that the defender can establish himself in the squad over the coming seasons. Internally, the board also sees the player as an asset who could become a future source of revenue for the club.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

Interest in Iago, however, did not begin with his recent run in the senior team. The defender has been monitored by European clubs since 2025. During this year’s Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior, Chelsea and Arsenal sent representatives to follow the player’s performances. More recently, Bayern Munich also began monitoring the athlete and added his name to their radar.

Even with the movement from foreign clubs, the plan defined by the center-back’s camp is different at the moment: the priority is to help Iago stand out and establish himself at Corinthians before discussing any possible transfer. The information was reported by TMC.

The process of preparing the youngster for professional football began back in January. Dorival Júnior, who was in charge of the team at that time, started integrating Iago into the senior squad. Fernando Diniz continued the work and has been publicly showing confidence in the defender’s potential.

After the loss to Flamengo in the 27th round of the Brazilian Championship, the coach praised the center-back and highlighted the player’s room for growth: “This player has everything to have a very bright future. He is a different kind of player. He is young, but there are players who have a certain fit with what the football world needs. What I see is that Iago can be one of those very different players, someone who can build a very beautiful career,” the coach said after the defeat to Flamengo in the 27th round of the Brazilian Championship.

With Iago entering the squad rotation, his camp’s intention is for him to take advantage of the opportunity to gain as many minutes on the pitch as possible. According to the report, the expectation is that the center-back will gradually increase his involvement and be able to compete for a starting spot in Corinthians’ defense during the first half of 2027.

Corinthians have also set high figures to protect the youngster in the market. Iago Machado’s release clause is set at R$ 66 million for Brazilian clubs and 100 million euros for foreign teams. The defender’s current contract with the club runs until April 16, 2028 and includes mechanisms that could raise those amounts depending on the player’s performances.

Born on February 17, 2009, Iago still cannot be transferred to a foreign club. The rules only allow an international transfer after the player turns 18, which will happen from February 17 of next year.

With only ten matches left for Corinthians to finish the season, after their eliminations from the Copa do Brasil and the Libertadores, the scenario may also favor the continued use of the youngster. The team still needs to earn points to move away from the relegation zone, but the coaching staff tends to use the remaining period to give Iago more playing time while already thinking about building the squad for 2027.

During the Super FIFA Date, the center-back will have around two weeks of work with Fernando Diniz to seek improvement and increase his chances of securing a permanent place. Besides Iago Machado, the coach currently has Gustavo Henrique, Gabriel Paulista, André Ramalho and João Pedro Tchoca as options for the defensive sector.

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