Until 2034: Chelsea announce signing of Corinthians academy gem | OneFootball

Throughout this Thursday (3), left-back Denner, 18, a product of Corinthians’ youth academy, had his signing confirmed by Chelsea of England. With a contract valid until 2034, the youngster will be part of Chelsea CBG, the name given to the London club’s Under-19 and Under-21 teams starting from the 2026/2027 season.

When announcing the arrival of the Corinthians prospect, the Blues highlighted the offensive traits of the Terrão graduate, emphasizing the full-back’s performance in Alvinegro’s runner-up campaign in the 2025 Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior – a 3-2 comeback defeat to São Paulo in the final. In the competition, at just 16 years old, he scored three goals and was the team’s second-highest scorer in the tournament.

Photo: Chelsea FC/Disclosure

In Chelsea’s Under-19 and Under-21 teams, Denner will be able to play in national tournaments for both age groups, including Premier League 2 – intended for 21-year-old players from England’s first-division clubs. The youngster has been sold to Chelsea since the start of last season.

At the time, still under the administration of ousted president Augusto Melo, Corinthians agreed to sell the youngster for 10 million euros (R$ 61.3 million at the time), plus another 4 million euros (R$ 24.59 million) in bonuses for contractual targets that may eventually be achieved by the player. In addition, Alvinegro retained 15% of any capital gain. In other words, Corinthians will be entitled to 15% of any possible profit made by the London club in the event of the player’s future sale.

In mid-July this year, Denner’s contract termination with Corinthians was published in the CBF’s Daily Information Bulletin (BID). Having turned 18 in February 2026, the youngster has been on English soil since October of last year. Initially, under Chelsea’s supervision, he was dealing with an injury and recovering from surgery on the meniscus in his right knee. After the 2025 Copinha, the player faced physical issues that ultimately prevented him from having a longer run on the field in Corinthians’ youth setup.

In 2026, even though he had already been sold, there was speculation that the player could play in the Copa São Paulo for Corinthians, since he was not yet of legal age to play in Europe. However, the English club stood firm and insisted that he remain in the United Kingdom. His contract with Timão was valid until March 2027 – he signed his first professional deal at the beginning of 2024. As his domestic release clause was low – 2,000 times his salary – and fearing losing the player to local clubs, Alvinegro chose to sell him.

Last season, Denner played only 17 matches for the Under-20 team – out of a possible 47 – and another four for the Under-17 side – also out of 47 played. Altogether, he recorded four goals and seven assists in the matches in which he took the field.

Check out Chelsea’s official statement announcing the youngster’s arrival below:

Chelsea is pleased to confirm the signing of Denner from Brazilian club Corinthians; the full-back has signed a contract until 2034. Denner, whose full name is Denner Alves Evangelista Pereira, has joined the Chelsea CNG squad. The 18-year-old is an attack-minded left-back who developed through the youth ranks of his hometown club and last year stood out in Corinthians Under-20’s runner-up campaign in the prestigious Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior. He scored three goals and provided two assists throughout the competition, including the opening goal in the final against São Paulo. Denner has represented Brazil at youth level and was part of the Under-17 squad that won the South American Championship in 2025. Welcome, Denner!

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