Corinthians close in on loan deal for Fortaleza midfielder

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Central do Timão

·11 janvier 2026

Corinthians close in on loan deal for Fortaleza midfielder

By Henrique Pereira / Central do Timão Editorial Team

After overturning FIFA's transfer ban, Corinthians remains active in the market in search of reinforcements for the squad led by Dorival Júnior. Behind the scenes, Timão has made progress and is close to securing the arrival of midfielder Matheus Pereira, currently at Fortaleza, through a loan deal, according to initial information from Meu Timão, confirmed by the Central do Timão.

The internal expectation is that the player will land in São Paulo as early as this Sunday (11). From there, he will begin the usual procedures to formalize the agreement, such as undergoing medical exams and signing the contract with Corinthians.

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A product of Corinthians' own youth academy, Matheus Pereira was promoted to the professional team at an early age, just 17. In 2015, he took part in the pre-season held in Florida under Tite's command, alongside defender Pedro Henrique. The following year, he was part of the black-and-white 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 ended up missing a penalty by attempting a chip shot that hit the crossbar, a moment that negatively marked his stint and contributed to his loss of space at the club. In total, Matheus played only three matches for the first team and was part of the squad that won the 2015 Brazilian championship.

Matheus left Corinthians in June 2016, when he was transferred to Juventus for 2.5 million euros, an amount that was roughly R$ 9.3 million at the time. Despite the transfer, the São Paulo club did not receive immediate financial return, as it retained only 5% of the economic rights. The other 95% went to businessman 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 shortly after arriving at Juventus. With no space in the main team, he returned to the Turin club and went on to accumulate loans, playing for Bordeaux II, Paraná, Juventus B, Dijon, and Barcelona B. It was at the Catalan club that the midfielder experienced his best moment, which led to his permanent signing in 2021 for around 8 million euros.

In the following season, the player was transferred to Eibar, where he had a consistent spell in Spain's second division, making 118 appearances. With his contract ending, he signed with Fortaleza in June 2025, with a deal valid until December 2027.

Even with the Ceará team's relegation to Serie B of the Brazilian Championship, Matheus Pereira stood out. Throughout the campaign, he played in 20 matches, contributed three assists, and scored two goals. With him on the field, Fortaleza even hinted at a 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-range passing, as well as his good vision for through balls. Versatile, he can play both deeper and in more attacking midfield roles, coming in to fill the space left by Maycon, who transferred to Atlético-MG.

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

Before any announcements, however, Timão turns its attention to the start of the Campeonato Paulista. The team debuts this Sunday at 4pm, against Ponte Preta, at Neo Química Arena.

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