Jesse Lingard Joins Corinthians
Former England and Manchester United forward Jesse Lingard has signed with Brazil's Corinthians, marking a major move in global football. The transfer is expected to boost the club's attacking options and reflects increasing player movement between European and South American leagues.
Jesse Lingard's contract with Corinthians is set to run until the end of 2026, with an option to extend for an additional year. The move to the São Paulo-based club marks a new chapter for the 33-year-old, who previously played for South Korean side FC Seoul. The financial terms of the deal have been reported to be around £86,000 per month. Before his time in South Korea, Lingard had an underwhelming period at Nottingham Forest following his departure from his boyhood club, Manchester United. At Corinthians, Lingard will be the seventh foreign player on the current squad. He will also reunite with a familiar face, his former Manchester United teammate Memphis Depay, who joined the Brazilian club in 2024. Lingard is only the second English player to sign for Corinthians. The first was Colin Kazim-Richards, a London-born player who represents Turkey at the international level and played for the club between 2017 and 2018. The history of English footballers in Brazil is limited; Seth Burkett is noted as the first Englishman to play professionally in the country. The transfer reflects a broader trend of players moving from European leagues to Brazil. Recent examples include former Chelsea defender Thiago Silva rejoining Fluminense, Philippe Coutinho moving to Vasco da Gama on loan from Aston Villa, and Danish international Martin Braithwaite signing for Grêmio. Interestingly, the man credited with introducing football to Brazil, Charles William Miller, was of English and Scottish descent. After being sent to England for his education, he returned to Brazil in 1894 with two footballs and a set of rules, organizing the first official match and helping to establish the first football league in the country.
