Corinthians could still have Memphis for 3 games after World Cup; see why | OneFootball

Corinthians received positive news behind the scenes regarding Memphis Depay’s stay. Although the São Paulo Football Federation (FPF) system indicates that the forward’s contract ends on June 20, the Dutchman’s deal with the club actually runs until July 31.

On the federation’s platform, the registered deadline appears incorrectly. The discrepancy happened due to an internal error by Corinthians itself. At the time, club officials assured that the situation would be corrected later, something that still has not happened.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Ag. Corinthians

“He still has a good amount of time left on his contract with us; he has an employment contract until July 31”, Marcelo Paz said in an interview with ESPN this Tuesday during the Copa do Brasil round-of-16 draw.

When he agreed to join Parque São Jorge, Memphis preferred to sign until July with the European transfer window in mind. The player’s plan was to keep open the possibility of returning to European football at the start of the continent’s season.

As a result, if he remains with the squad until the end of his contract, the No. 10 could still play at least three more matches after the Club World Cup: against Remo, Bahia, and Athletico-PR in the Brazilian Championship.

To officially correct the information in the FPF system, however, Corinthians will need to submit a contract amendment to the federation, duly signed by the player.

Internally, Memphis has already shown a willingness to be flexible on salary figures in a possible renewal. Even so, president Osmar Stabile and executive Marcelo Paz believe that the forward’s continuation depends on bringing in commercial partners to help financially support the project.

According to information published by Meu Timão, the player himself hired a marketing professional to assist in the talks and help the club search for companies interested in investing in the Dutchman’s stay.

In addition, Memphis also contacted members of Gaviões da Fiel to update them on the negotiations and reinforce his desire to keep playing for Corinthians. At present, at least six companies are in talks with representatives of the player and the club, with some discussions considered advanced behind the scenes.

Corinthians’ board is also considering the possibility of involving Ezze Seguros in the project, although there is still no official negotiation underway. The speculation gained strength after a video posted by the club last Saturday promoting an insurance plan and highlighting Memphis’ name printed on the black-and-white shirt, which led fans to interpret it as a possible sign of a renewal.

Despite this, the connection between the forward and the company is happening for another reason. The idea is for Memphis to become an ambassador for a new product from the insurer, serving as the face of the campaign.

Ezze’s contract situation with Corinthians, incidentally, also ends at the end of June, as disclosed by the board at the beginning of the year. After returning to the pitch in the win over Atlético Mineiro, Memphis took the opportunity to post an image related to the company’s campaign on social media.

The No. 10’s agent is in Brazil precisely to discuss the next steps in the player’s career and conduct the negotiations involving his future.

Esportes da Sorte, the club’s main sponsor, had shown interest in taking part in the financial project to keep the forward. However, talks have lost momentum in recent weeks, and the company is not expected to take on that role in the negotiations.

The agreement signed by Memphis in September 2024 includes wages, image rights, performance bonuses and shares, as well as a signing bonus, in figures around R$ 3 million per month. Part of those amounts was covered by Esportes da Sorte, but after the sponsorship contract was renewed this year, the approximately R$ 57 million planned was no longer earmarked exclusively for the player’s deal.

Another important point in the negotiations involves a debt accumulated by Corinthians with the player, estimated at approximately R$ 40 million related to pending prizes and bonuses. Given the complexity of the talks, the club admits it may extend negotiations until the Club World Cup, a period in which Memphis could even take part in the tournament without an active contract with Timão.

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