Memphis Depay breaks silence after Corinthians fail to renew deal | OneFootball

On the night of this Tuesday (11), 32-year-old forward Memphis Depay used his social media to speak out for the first time, just hours after Corinthians made it official that they would not renew his contract, which expired on July 31. In recent weeks, talks over his staying had even appeared to be on track, but in the end, the Corinthians board opted to part ways with the No. 10.

The Dutchman, on his official X account, formerly Twitter, said he was very disappointed by what happened and that, on the club’s side, there had been a breach of commitment. The No. 10 also stressed that the terms of the new contract with Corinthians had already been approved by president Osmar Stabile and the club’s legal and financial departments.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

“Very disappointed to read that Corinthians decided not to honor our current agreement to extend my contract for another 2 years. This renewal was explicitly agreed to by the president, as well as by the sporting, legal, and financial departments. Some people, however, decided to break this commitment. I did not want this situation and always respected the club throughout the entire process, but I am now forced to react firmly to protect my interests. In the coming days, I will speak publicly, but rest assured that I will not let this unacceptable behavior go unpunished,” said Memphis Depay.

As justification for not renewing the player’s contract, Corinthians cited the institution’s delicate financial situation. However, the player’s departure could also bring off-field consequences for the club. That is because Timão has a debt of more than R$40 million, referring to bonuses tied to targets set in his contract, and if he had stayed, that amount would have been paid in installments every six months, starting in February 2027, to the player.

The total debt was R$77 million, but the player had waived part of that amount. However, with the non-renewal, Memphis Depay can now enforce the amount through FIFA (via the Court of Arbitration for Sport – CAS), demanding the full sum, which can now exceed R$100 million, and could also lead to another transfer ban for Corinthians from world football’s governing body.

At the moment, the Alvinegro is barred from registering players, as it currently has three transfer bans – two from FIFA and one from the CBF (National Chamber for Dispute Resolution – CNRD), totaling nearly R$22 million. Memphis Depay had been in Brazil since the early hours of August 4, Tuesday, and even underwent medical exams at a hospital in São Paulo with a possible renewal with Corinthians in mind.

The No. 10 had been on vacation after the World Cup with the Netherlands national team, which was eliminated in the round of 32 against Morocco on penalties. Even without playing since then, the player had been keeping himself physically prepared, as he worked with Diego Pereira, Corinthians’ fitness coach between July 2024 and April 2025, who worked with the player during part of his time at Parque São Jorge.

Memphis Depay at the World Cup

In three matches at the world’s biggest national-team tournament (all as a substitute), he recorded one assist and 51 minutes on the field – Japan (2-2 – 20 minutes), Sweden (5-1 – 18 minutes played and one assist), and Tunisia (3-1 – 13 minutes played). In the match that resulted in the Netherlands’ elimination, the No. 10 did not even come off the bench for Ronald Koeman’s side.

Memphis Depay’s current form

The No. 10 is coming off a season below expectations. In 14 games for Timão in 2026 (11 as a starter), he has one goal and one assist. Between late March and the end of May, Memphis was sidelined, as he was recovering from a grade 2 muscle injury suffered in a match against Flamengo in Itaquera in the eighth round of the Brasileirão.

Between the injury diagnosis and the start of the World Cup, Memphis Depay played in only two matches for Corinthians, one coming off the bench (Atlético-MG – Brasileirão) and the other starting (Platense-ARG – Conmebol Libertadores), but he was substituted by Fernando Diniz at halftime.

Memphis Depay’s numbers for Corinthians

Signed in September 2024 after not having his contract renewed by Atlético de Madrid of Spain, Memphis Depay arrived at Corinthians and immediately played a key role in the team’s surge in the previous edition of the Brazilian Championship (from the relegation zone to the Libertadores qualifiers), scoring seven goals and providing one assist in 11 matches in the national tournament.

Last season and at the start of this one, he was decisive in the title wins of the Paulista Championship (2025), Copa do Brasil (2025), and Supercopa do Brasil (2026), totaling two assists in those finals and playing an important role in the earlier knockout rounds. In a Corinthians shirt, he has 20 goals and 15 assists in 79 matches – 40 wins, 18 draws, and 21 losses – a 58.23% success rate.

Before playing for Atlético de Madrid of Spain and Corinthians, he had spells at PSV of the Netherlands – where he came through the ranks – Manchester United (England), Lyon (France), and Barcelona (Spain). He leaves the club as the fifth-highest foreign goalscorer in Timão’s history, behind only Romero (67), Guerrero (54), Tévez (46), and Herrera (22).

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