Born in Rio de Janeiro, Clayton joined Figueirense's youth setup in 2007, aged 12.

[1] On 3 November 2012 he made his first team – and Série A – debut, coming on as a late substitute in a 0–1 away loss against Flamengo.

Clayton scored seven league goals during the 2015 season, including a brace against Flamengo, as his side again narrowly avoided the drop.

[5] On 23 March 2017, Clayton was loaned to Corinthians until the end of the season, but returned to Atlético in August.

[7] He returned to Atlético in August 2019, before joining Vasco da Gama on loan for the remainder of that year.