Once a Corinthians wonderkid, now betting on Retrô for redemption | OneFootball

Rodrigo Varanda’s journey has taken another dramatic turn, as the former Corinthians prospect looks to revitalize his career with Retrô in Série C. Once seen as one of the brightest talents to emerge at the club, Varanda is now set to join the Pernambuco side—recently through to the Copa do Brasil round of 16—on a deal running until the end of the third division campaign.

After emerging at Corinthians and making an early impression in 2021, notably scoring in the clássico with Palmeiras, Varanda’s trajectory has been marked by a series of loans and limited opportunities. He featured across the Paulista, Copa do Brasil, and Copa Sudamericana that year but struggled to maintain his breakthrough form. As his influence waned, Corinthians sent him on loan to several clubs, among them São Bernardo, Chapecoense, Akritas Chlorakas (Cyprus), Santa Clara (Portugal), and América-MG.

His most sustained recent spell came with América-MG, where Varanda made 28 appearances, scoring three goals. However, his time in Belo Horizonte ended last September when he rescinded his contract to focus on his mental health, pausing his career for several months.

Varanda returned to competition at the start of this year with São José, playing in the Paulista A2, initially to regain fitness. He signed for the second half of the season and delivered three goals and an assist in 11 matches. A brief stint with Amazonas followed: he played nine games (five in the Amazonense, where he lifted the title, and four in Série B), scoring twice before falling out of favour when Guilherme Alves took over as head coach.

Now, Varanda will head to Recife next week to begin work with Wyres Souza’s squad, looking for stability and a new chapter in Série C. Retrô, hoping to capitalise on his experience and potential, offer a platform for the forward to reestablish himself after a stop-start career. For Corinthians followers, Varanda’s move is a poignant reminder of the difficulties promising youth talents often encounter once the glare of early success fades.

Source: Globo