RIO DE JANEIRO, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Corinthians are close to signing Brazilian-born Ukraine international striker Junior Moraes, according to media reports in the South American country.
Moraes is tied to Shakhtar Donetsk until June but could arrive at the Sao Paulo club for free because of a FIFA ruling allowing Ukraine and Russia-based players to temporarily break their contracts.
Gazeta Esportiva, the 34-year-old's representatives are in advanced talks with Corinthians about the possibility of joining the club for the 2022 South American season.
Moraes began his professional career at Santos in 2007 and earned his first European contract with Romania's Gloria Bistrita in 2010. He then had spells at CSKA Sofia, Metalurh Donetsk, Dynamo Kyiv, and Tianjin Quanjian before joining Shakhtar Donetsk in 2018.
He gained Ukrainian citizenship in March 2019 and has since been capped 11 times for his adopted country.
On Monday, FIFA said clubs in other countries and regions could sign up to two Ukraine or Russia-based players outside of the transfer window. The authorization is valid until June 30. ■
