Serie A club announce signing of striker produced by Corinthians | OneFootball

On the afternoon of this Wednesday (5), Cruzeiro officially announced on its social media the signing of forward Wesley, 21, who came through Corinthians’ youth academy. The youngster joins the Minas Gerais side on loan from Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr until June 2027. According to ge.globo, the deal with Raposa includes a purchase option at the end of the loan.

“WELCOME, 𝑾𝑬𝑺𝑳𝑬𝒀! Cabuloso has completed the signing of the forward on loan from Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr until June 2027! Leave your welcome message, Nation!”, the Minas Gerais club said on its communication channels.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

The transfer window, it is worth remembering, has been open since July 20 and is scheduled to close on September 11. Corinthians even began talks with Wesley and Al-Nassr over a possible return for the youngster. However, the club from Parque São Jorge is barred from registering players due to three transfer bans—two from FIFA and one from the CBF—totaling approximately R$ 22 million.

In addition, in the initial contacts with Wesley’s representatives, the amounts initially requested by the player were considered beyond Corinthians’ current financial reality. In interviews with the press, football executive Marcelo Paz and head coach Fernando Diniz stressed their desire to have the winger, who also wanted to return to the club where he came through the ranks.

Wesley joined Corinthians to strengthen the Under-13 squad. During his time in Corinthians’ academy, considering the Under-17 and Under-20 levels, he scored 15 goals in 70 matches, with 47 wins, 15 draws, and eight losses. As a Filho do Terrão, his main achievement in Timão’s youth ranks was the 2021 Paulista Under-17 Championship, against Palmeiras, on penalties, at Allianz Parque.

In April 2022, when Alvinegro was managed by Portuguese coach Vitor Pereira, Wesley made his Corinthians debut in a match against Portuguesa of Rio de Janeiro in that year’s Copa do Brasil. In the first half of 2023, shortly after Vanderlei Luxemburgo took charge of Timão, the youngster was permanently promoted to the first team.

For the senior side, he scored seven goals and provided five assists in 85 matches—27 wins, 27 draws, and 31 losses—for a 42.4% points rate. In August 2024, Corinthians, needing to raise cash through player sales, saw the player’s performances dip and chose to sell him to Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr for 20 million euros (R$ 110 million at the time), plus five million dollars in performance-related bonuses.

For the Saudi side, he recorded five goals, four assists, and won one title: the 2025/2026 Saudi League. Between the end of last year and the start of 2026, he was loaned to Spain’s Real Sociedad. There, he did not get many opportunities, playing only five matches. At the end of the season in Spain, he returned to Al-Nassr after the Spanish club did not exercise its purchase option. Wesley returns to Brazilian football seeking to rediscover his form after also losing space at the Arab club.

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