André's agent slams Corinthians' handling, cites market misjudgement | OneFootball

André’s future has once again come into the spotlight after the transfer window closed in Europe’s major leagues. Diogo Silva, the agent in charge of the 20-year-old defensive midfielder’s career, criticized the way Corinthians handled negotiations for the player throughout 2026 and said the club’s board lacked market experience.

In an interview with ge, the agent mainly questioned the decision made in March, when Timão turned down a €17 million offer — around R$101 million at the exchange rate cited by the publication — from AC Milan of Italy. In the final days of the European window, Nottingham Forest of England and Olympiacos of Greece also approached the club, but did not reach the figures desired by the board.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

According to Diogo Silva, the way talks with the Italians were handled ended up hurting Corinthians afterward, since none of the offers received later matched that amount.

“There was a misjudgment in evaluating Milan’s offer, and it will happen again as long as there aren’t people capable of understanding how the European market works. Corinthians can’t turn down a €17 million deal and then not get any offers even close to that,” he said.

In the agent’s view, the club also needs to improve the way it sets prices for its players when there is international interest.

“I think there’s a lack of expertise in understanding how the European market works. People don’t know what the player is really worth,” he added.

Agent questions handling of negotiations with Milan

The negotiations with Milan are one of the main points of dissatisfaction for André’s representative. According to Diogo Silva, more than 28 emails were exchanged during the talks, and the paperwork for the transfer was already prepared, with only president Osmar Stabile’s signature remaining to complete the deal.

At the time, however, Corinthians decided to keep the midfielder. The €17 million offer was ultimately rejected after then-head coach Dorival Júnior asked for the player to stay and amid the negative reaction a possible departure sparked among fans.

For the agent, the issue was not only the decision not to sell André, but also the stage the talks had reached before Corinthians backed out.

“If it’s time to sell the player, then do it. They were not careful with the other institutions and exposed Corinthians. One thing is not wanting to sell the player. But when you open negotiations, you have to respect the institution on the other side.”

Nottingham Forest and Olympiacos made new approaches

André once again drew international interest in the final stretch of the window. Nottingham Forest submitted a €12 million offer, while Olympiacos offered €10 million for the player. Neither move progressed.

Diogo Silva also showed dissatisfaction with the counteroffers presented by Corinthians. In the agent’s view, the gap between the amounts offered by interested clubs and the figures sought by Timão made any possibility of an agreement difficult.

“In the corporate world in 2026, this poker talk, this bluffing, no longer exists. The player’s price is determined by the market. We can’t fool ourselves by making comparisons with other institutions, otherwise the player will never leave and the club also won’t be able to profit and solve its problems,” he said.

Although some international windows remain open, including those in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Greece, the trend pointed out by the agent is that André will remain at Parque São Jorge until the end of the season. The player’s desire is to continue his career in one of Europe’s five major leagues: England, Italy, Spain, Germany, or France.

Agent expects him to stay until the end of the season

At 20 years old, André is regarded by his representative as a player with the potential to keep increasing in value. Diogo Silva said the midfielder remains calm amid the negotiations and that decisions about the next steps in his career are being analyzed carefully.

The agent also linked the failed negotiation to Corinthians’ financial situation, as the club entered the season projecting it would raise R$150 million from player transfers, but has not yet completed any sales this year.

“André has a level head and a brilliant future; he could be part of the Olympic cycle. He has always left the decisions for me to define, and we have to make the decision carefully and cautiously to keep his career moving forward. Unfortunately, in this case, the one most harmed was Corinthians, which is dealing with financial problems,” he said.

Corinthians push back against criticism and explain counteroffer

Corinthians, for its part, maintains that it does not intend to negotiate one of its top young players for amounts considered below expectations. People close to president Osmar Stabile interviewed by ge said the board decided not to accept offers it viewed as low and that also did not include future bonuses tied to André’s performance.

Marcelo Paz, the club’s executive, detailed Nottingham Forest’s latest approach and said Corinthians responded quickly to the English club. The executive did not reveal what amount Timão requested in the counteroffer.

“On Saturday, August 22, we received an offer via Diogo from Nottingham Forest for €12 million upfront, with no bonuses, nothing. We received this offer at exactly 8:28 p.m. (Brasília time). At 9:54 p.m., Corinthians submitted the counteroffer. After that, nothing else came.”

So, despite the different approaches received throughout 2026, André remains at Corinthians. The board still keeps open the possibility of a deal while there are markets still open, but according to his agent, the current plan is for the midfielder to stay at the club until the end of the season.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.