Corinthians set to terminate Fagner’s contract, expect to save millions | OneFootball

Corinthians has reached an agreement to terminate the contract of right-back Fagner. The player is expected to sign the termination this Monday and will be free to make a permanent move to Cruzeiro, the club to which he was previously loaned.

The loan contract with Raposa ended at the close of last season. However, Fagner was not in coach Dorival Júnior's plans. The wing-back didn't even report back with the rest of the squad last Saturday, just like midfielder Alex Santana and two other players.

Millionaire Savings

The imminent contract termination with Fagner will help Corinthians' finances. The club's board expects to save approximately R$ 8 million with the departure of the 36-year-old player. The information was initially published by CNN and confirmed by Gazeta Esportiva.

(Photo: Jhony Inácio/Cruzeiro)

Fagner is expected to work alongside Tite again, this time at Cruzeiro. The player was coached by Tite at Corinthians and also with the Brazilian National Team.

Wearing the celestial shirt, Fagner played 17 matches last season, 14 of them as a starter, and contributed one assist. He alternated positions with William but suffered a fibula fracture and missed almost the entire remainder of the year.

Cost Reduction

On Corinthians' side, what weighed most in Fagner's departure was the high cost of the player. One of the main plans of Osmar Stabile's management is to implement a severe cost reduction for 2026. In the budget approved by the Deliberative Council, the club projected to end next year with a surplus of R$ 12 million. The expected operational result is a profit of R$ 320 million.

To achieve this goal, Timão intends to reduce costs with employee and player salaries, a category in which Fagner would be included. According to the budget, expenses with "Personnel," the category that includes this type of cost, will undergo a 19% cut—from R$ 505 million to R$ 410 million annually.

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Position Shortage

With Fagner's departure, Corinthians will be left with only Matheuzinho as a natural right-back, just as happened last season. In 2025, Timão struggled with a shortage in the position and had to improvise players such as Charles, José Martínez, and Félix Torres.

An option for the role could be right-back Renzo Saravia, who is leaving Atlético-MG. The Argentine has been offered to the alvinegro club, which, led by football executive Marcelo Paz, is evaluating the signing.

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