The 27-year-old joined Valencia from Sporting CP in September 2019 for €12m and made 142 appearances across all competitions, but persistent muscular problems limited his availability to 16 La Liga appearances this season alone — a pattern that convinced head coach Carlos Corberán and chief executive Ron Gourlay there was no future worth investing in.
Venezia confirmed their interest after winning promotion back to Serie A, with the newly returned Italian club identifying Correia as an experienced defensive option who could contribute immediately without the financial outlay required for a contracted player. His move to the Veneto is expected to be formalised when he travels to Italy to sign in the coming days.
The manner of Correia's exit made headlines in Spain. Speaking after learning he would not be offered a new contract, the Portugal international was candid about the environment he was leaving.
"Valencia is a very unstable club. There is a toxic atmosphere between the fans and the board. This season it has been between the board, the players and the fans. Whether we like it or not, that is harmful. I think the fault is also ours — the players are the ones who can change something and we didn't."
The comments drew significant reaction in Valencia, where the club's ownership situation has been a source of long-running tension between Singaporean owner Peter Lim and a fanbase that has demonstrated consistently against his tenure.
For Venezia, Correia represents a low-risk addition that brings top-flight experience to a squad that will need to adapt quickly to survive in the Italian top flight for the first time since their relegation in the spring of 2025. Their last Serie A campaign ended in 19th place.