Le Mans bid details for Gui Negão revealed after Corinthians snub | OneFootball

Negotiations between Corinthians and Le Mans, of France, over Gui Negão did not move forward, but the amounts and terms offered by the French club were revealed this Wednesday (2). The existence of the proposal for the 19-year-old striker had already been confirmed by Central do Timão. Now, information released by TMC details how the deal would work, involving a loan, a purchase option, and performance targets that could make the transfer mandatory.

Le Mans’ interest emerged during the first half of August. Last week, the French club formally made an offer to have the center-forward until the end of the 2026/27 European season. Corinthians, however, did not accept the terms and, with the transfer window closing in France last Tuesday (1), the talks came to an end.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

Le Mans offered a loan fee and purchase option

According to TMC, Le Mans was willing to pay 200 thousand euros, approximately R$ 1.18 million, just for Gui Negão’s temporary transfer.

The document also set a purchase option at 6.2 million euros. If the French club decided to sign the player permanently, the 200 thousand euros paid for the loan would be deducted from the total amount. That way, another 6 million euros would need to be paid, around R$ 35.5 million at the exchange rate used by the outlet.

In addition to the financial terms, the proposal would allow Corinthians to keep 25% of the striker’s economic rights after a possible permanent transfer. This means Timão could still receive part of any future deal involving the player.

Currently, the black-and-white club owns 80% of Gui Negão’s economic rights.

Even with these conditions, Corinthians turned down the offer. According to TMC, the board prioritized the possibility of obtaining a more significant amount immediately, something the model presented by Le Mans would not provide.

Targets could force the French club to buy Gui Negão

Another detail of the proposal involved sporting criteria for the striker’s permanent stay in France. The purchase option would no longer be optional and would become mandatory if Gui Negão met two appearance-related targets.

The center-forward would need to be included in the squad for 80% of Le Mans’ matches in the season and start at least 60% of the games.

Considering a scenario in which the club played the 34 matches scheduled in the French league and was eliminated in its first Copa da França appearance, the striker would need to be included in the squad for 28 matches and start 21 of them for the permanent transfer to become mandatory.

As the French window closed without an agreement with Corinthians, these conditions never came into effect.

The striker’s representatives were unhappy with the decision

Still according to TMC, Corinthians’ refusal caused frustration within Gui Negão’s camp. The dissatisfaction is said to be linked to the player’s limited use with the senior team and the belief that the club has been making a possible transfer more difficult.

In 2025, when the striker was in a different situation within the squad, Corinthians had already rejected a considerably higher approach. Zenit, from Russia, submitted a 17 million euro offer for the youngster, but the deal did not progress.

Gui Negão gained prominence with the senior team precisely during last season. A product of the youth academy, the center-forward was given opportunities and played an important role in matches during the campaign that ended with the Copa do Brasil title.

The scenario in 2026 is different. According to the figures released by TMC, the striker has made 16 appearances this year, eight of them as a starter, and has scored just one goal.

Striker has a long-term contract with Corinthians

Born in 2007, Gui Negão is 19 years old and is under contract with Corinthians until June 2030. The deal sets a release clause of R$ 140 million for the Brazilian market and 100 million euros for international transfers.

The youngster came through the youth ranks at Parque São Jorge and was part of the squads that won the 2025 Copa do Brasil and the 2026 Supercopa do Brasil.

Although he has lost space with the senior team this season, the striker still has a long-term contract and remains a market asset for Corinthians. For that reason, the board chose not to release the player under the terms presented by Le Mans.

The decision also comes at a time when the club is seeking to increase revenue from player deals to meet its financial planning. In the updated 2026 budget, the projected income from sales of economic rights and solidarity mechanisms was raised to approximately R$ 180 million.

With the French window now closed, any possible departure for Gui Negão in this window will now depend on offers from markets that are still open. For now, the striker remains at Parque São Jorge and available to Corinthians for the rest of the season.

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