"Very happy", says Kaio César on joining Corinthians

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Central do Timão

·26 de enero de 2026

"Very happy", says Kaio César on joining Corinthians

By Henrique Vigliotti and Fabio Luigi / Central do Timão Editorial Team

Forward Kaio César, who was at Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, arrived in Brazil around 4:55 PM (Brasília time) to sign a contract with Corinthians, and then passed through the Guarulhos airport lobby, where he was able to greet and take photos with Alvinegro fans. In an interview with the press at the location, the player spoke about his expectations of wearing the Corinthians jersey.

“The expectations couldn’t be better. I am very happy to be here, to be at a club like Corinthians. A club that every player dreams of playing for. I am very happy, very excited, very anxious. I am very anxious, now it’s time to do the medical exams to be available to the coach as soon as possible,” he began.

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Photo: Reproduction/Central do Timão

Later, he was asked about conversations with Malcom, who came up through the Corinthians youth system and stood out in the first team between 2014 and 2015, and had a successful stint at Al-Hilal, the club where Kaio César was. He also responded about the affection from the Corinthians fans.

“Malcom and I used to talk. I asked him what it was like to play for Corinthians and he always told me good things, a giant club. He always got me excited to be here. As for Dorival, we had a quick chat, I saw his desire to have me here and that already made me very excited. This (the fans’ affection) is really great, everyone dreams of experiencing this.”, he continued.

For the loan of Kaio César, as reported by ge.globo and confirmed by Central do Timão, Corinthians will pay 500 thousand dollars (about R$ 3.1 million) for the transfer. The agreement also includes an option to buy 50% of the player’s economic rights for 6 million euros (approximately R$ 36.7 million), should Corinthians choose to keep him for the coming seasons.

At Corinthians, Kaio César arrives to be a pacey player on the wings, a position lacking in the current squad, especially after the departures of Talles Magno and Ángel Romero, whose contracts were not renewed. For the offensive sector, Alvinegro has Yuri Alberto, Memphis Depay, Gui Negão, Kayke, Dieguinho, and Pedro Raul.

Kaio César came up through the youth ranks at Coritiba and had his first professional season in 2023, where he scored three goals in 36 matches. He was later loaned to Vitória de Guimarães in Portugal, where he scored four goals and provided eight assists in 47 games. With standout performances, he ended up being sold to Al-Hilal in 2024. For the Saudi club, he scored four goals and provided six assists in 37 matches. His contract with the club runs until December 2028.

In the current 2025/2026 season, however, he lost his place and started in only six of 17 matches, with one goal and three assists. Last weekend, right after Al-Hilal’s match against Al-Riyadh in the national championship, Kaio César left the stadium and went straight to the airport to board a flight to Brazil.

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