Atlético chief says club offered Hulk a new deal, don’t want him to leave

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·06 de janeiro de 2026

Atlético chief says club offered Hulk a new deal, don’t want him to leave

The future of Hulk has returned to the spotlight at Cidade do Galo. Amid rumors about a possible departure of the forward, who has a contract with Atlético until the end of 2026 and received an offer from Fluminense, the club's CSO, Paulo Bracks, spoke out strongly and made the alvinegra board's position clear.

In a press conference this Tuesday (06) at Arena MRV, Bracks stated that Atlético has no interest in losing its main idol. While discussing meetings with Hulk's staff, the director adopted a cautious tone but made sure to emphasize the importance of the number 7 for the club's project.

Vídeos OneFootball

"I will not go into details about what is being discussed, about the project presented or about the details spoken in the meetings, which only concern the parties sitting there. What I can confirm, which is the main point, is that no one from the club's board wants Hulk to leave. Hulk is an idol, the greatest in history, in my opinion, and he has everything to move from the status of idol to legend, thinking about Atlético," highlighted Bracks.

Another point addressed by the CSO was the relationship between Hulk and coach Jorge Sampaoli, a topic that also generated debates among fans. According to Bracks, there is no friction between the player and the coach.

What I can say is that there is great respect from Hulk towards Sampaoli and from Sampaoli towards Hulk. In fact, both have publicly praised each other. Hulk is an institutional project, it's a very significant matter to be handled only by the football department.

Bracks also refuted rumors circulating on social media that Atlético would be interested in Hulk's retirement at the end of this season. According to the director, the reality is exactly the opposite: "No one from Atlético is retiring Hulk, but on the contrary, we offered him a contract extension until the end of 2027. So it would be two more years of contract. Hulk will stop when he decides to stop, not Atlético or any other club," he clarified.

Finally, the CSO commented on the existence of offers for the forward. Despite acknowledging the constant interest in Hulk since his arrival at the club, Bracks assured that there is no ongoing negotiation between Atlético and any other team.

There is no negotiation with any club with Atlético. Obviously, in all the years Hulk has been here, since he arrived, he has been approached and continues to be. He still has a lot of football to offer, so much so that Atlético offered the contract extension with him. (…) I am aware that he had an offer and that he currently has one with his staff, not with Atlético. Hulk is a reference, an idol. We don't want him to leave, and he has a contract until the end of 2026.

The decision on whether Hulk will remain at Atlético is expected to be made by tomorrow.

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