Midfielder lands in São Paulo to finalise loan move to Corinthians

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Central do Timão

·11 January 2026

Midfielder lands in São Paulo to finalise loan move to Corinthians

By Matheus Fernandes and Daniel Keppler / Central do Timão Editorial Team

The newest signing agreed with Corinthians is already in São Paulo to finalize negotiations with the club: it is midfielder Matheus Pereira, who plays for Fortaleza. He landed in the São Paulo capital on Sunday afternoon (11), aiming to join Timão on a loan deal with an option to buy, according to information initially released by the portal Meu Timão and confirmed by Central do Timão.

The Central do Timão team was at Congonhas airport to cover the arrival of the 27-year-old player. However, Matheus Pereira chose not to answer questions, as he has not yet signed a contract with the People’s Team. It is worth noting that the player is returning to Parque São Jorge nine years after his departure, being a product of Terrão and making an early debut for the senior team at just 17 years old.

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Photo: Matheus Fernandes/Central do Timão

Matheus Pereira took part in the 2015 pre-season with the team led by Tite, held in Florida under Tite’s command, alongside defender Pedro Henrique. The following year, he was part of the squad that reached the final of the Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior, finishing as runners-up after losing to Flamengo on penalties.

In the tournament’s final, the midfielder missed a penalty attempt by trying a chip shot that hit the crossbar, a moment that marked his stint negatively and contributed to his loss of space at the club. In total, Matheus played only three times for the main team and was part of the squad that won the 2015 Brazilian championship.

He left Corinthians in June 2016, when he was transferred to Juventus for 2.5 million euros, an amount that was approximately R$ 9.3 million at the time. Despite the transfer, the São Paulo club did not receive an immediate financial return, as it kept only 5% of the economic rights. The other 95% remained with agent Fernando Garcia as compensation for existing debts, as revealed by ge.globo.

In European football, Matheus Pereira began his journey in Italy, being loaned to Empoli right after arriving at Juventus. Without a place in the main team, he returned to the Turin club and went on a series of loans, playing for Bordeaux II, Paraná, Juventus B, Dijon, and Barcelona B. It was at the Catalan club that the midfielder had his best spell, which led to his permanent signing in 2021 for around 8 million euros.

The following season, the player was transferred to Eibar, where he built a consistent stint in Spain’s second division, totaling 118 matches played. With the end of his contract, he signed with Fortaleza in June 2025, with a deal valid until December 2027.

Even with the relegation of the Ceará team to Serie B of the Brazilian Championship, Matheus Pereira had a standout performance. Throughout the campaign, he played in 20 matches, contributed three assists, and scored two goals. With him on the field, Fortaleza even showed signs of recovery in the competition, but finished the tournament in 18th place, with 43 points.

Left-footed and 1.83 meters tall, the midfielder stands out for his technical ability, especially in short and long passing, as well as his good vision for through balls. Versatile, he can play both deeper and in more attacking midfield roles, arriving to fill the gap left by Maycon, who transferred to Atlético-MG.

In addition to advancing in the signing of Matheus Pereira, Corinthians is also close to finalizing a deal with 35-year-old defender Gabriel Paulista. The defender, who was at Besiktas in Turkey, only needs to undergo medical exams to be officially announced as a new signing.

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