Depay: Team-mates are ‘European level’, on Corinthians renewal

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Central do Timão

·19 febbraio 2026

Depay: Team-mates are ‘European level’, on Corinthians renewal

By Fabio Luigi / Central do Timão Editorial Team

On the night of Wednesday (18), an interview with striker Memphis Depay of Corinthians aired on Romário TV. Among the various topics discussed, the number 10 of the Alvinegro was asked which teammates he believes are at the level or have the potential to play in European football in the future.

“Breno Bidon, a lot of talent, potential, he’s awesome. André, the midfielder, also has very high potential. Yuri, Matheuzinho, Hugo Souza, Bidu. Bidu, for example, has very high technical ability. The decisions he makes, sometimes he takes a lot of risks. If he went to Europe, he would learn all that in six months and raise his level. I also think Garro could do very well in Europe,” he began.

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Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

Next, he was asked about renewing his contract with Corinthians. His current deal ends in July 2026 and, at the moment, the Dutchman can already sign a pre-contract with any club: “Corinthians and I want to talk, I’m open and we’ll discuss. See what’s possible given the club’s situation, the board, the structure. At other clubs, a lot of money is spent on players, before they didn’t do that. When I say structure, I mean people with plans for 10, 15 years,” he continued.

Finally, he spoke again about people at Corinthians who end up working ‘against the club itself’. When addressing the topic, he mentioned the issue of details of his contract being leaked to major media outlets, which ended up generating a lot of buzz: “I think a lot of people work against Corinthians. So when someone like me arrives in their country with energy and they see the team doing well, the fans see the old days of titles, it doesn’t sit well with some people.”

“There are details in my contract that people don’t accept, everything is out in the open, except the truth. That’s a challenge, I don’t accept injustice. I look ahead, I say what I think and seek the best. It’s a challenge, people against Corinthians block the club’s growth potential. Structure, finances, one of the clubs with the highest revenue. What’s the problem? I don’t want to talk about it, but I know a lot,” he said.

Memphis’s career and his journey at Corinthians so far

Memphis Depay was signed by Corinthians in September 2024, after not renewing his contract with Atlético de Madrid, Spain. Even with little time at the club, he was decisive in the team’s surge in that year’s Brazilian Championship (from the relegation zone to the 2025 Pre-Libertadores), as well as being crucial in winning the Paulista Championship (2025) against Palmeiras, the Copa do Brasil (2025) against Vasco da Gama, and the Supercopa against Flamengo.

In total, he has played 70 matches for Corinthians (55 as a starter), with 38 wins, 14 draws, and 18 losses – a 60.95% success rate, with 19 goals scored and 15 assists. He is also the top scorer for the Netherlands national team, having recently surpassed Robin Van Persie. Memphis began his career at PSV in the Netherlands in 2011/2012, staying until 2014/2015. He then moved to Manchester United in England. There, he did not meet expectations and sought a change of scenery.

In 2016/2017, he joined Lyon in France, where he performed well, remaining in France until 2020/2021. The following season, he moved to Barcelona in Spain. In Catalonia, he stayed for a season and a half, when he was initially loaned to Atlético de Madrid, in the same country. At the end of that spell, he was bought and played for the Colchoneros until 2023/2024, when he moved to Brazilian football.

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