Fernando Diniz hopeful over Memphis future, admits concern about potential Corinthians exits | OneFootball

Fernando Diniz reiterated his wish to keep Memphis Depay at Corinthians as the forward’s contract expires on 31 July, while accepting the decision is beyond his control. He spoke after a 1-1 draw with FC Cascavel on Sunday.

Memphis is in talks over a new deal after the Netherlands were knocked out by Morocco on penalties on 29 June in the last 32. According to Meu Timao, he will only report back to CT Dr. Joaquim Grava if a fresh agreement is reached.

Diniz said negotiations are ongoing and he hopes for a positive outcome, but stressed the process is out of his hands. He added that Memphis is currently on holiday following the World Cup and would not have featured against Cascavel.

Since arriving in 2024, Memphis has made 79 appearances, scoring 20 and providing 15 assists. He has won three trophies, the 2025 Campeonato Paulista and Copa do Brasil, plus the 2026 Supercopa Rei.

With finances tight, Diniz argued the best reinforcement this window could be keeping the core of his squad, acknowledging the club cannot make the kind of heavy investments others can.

Corinthians need to raise at least R$ 151 million from player rights sales in this window to meet their budget. They are also under a Fifa transfer ban over late payment to Philadelphia Union for midfielder José Martínez, a debt estimated at about R$ 7 million.

Breno Bidon, André Luiz and striker Yuri Alberto are among players attracting European interest, with bids for André and Yuri already rejected this season. The board are monitoring loans and free agents, including Arthur Melo of Juventus and Wesley of Al-Nassr.

Source: Meu Timao