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Corinthians Close To Signing Netherlands Striker Memphis Depay
Netherlands striker Memphis Depay is close to being announced as Corinthians’ new signing, the websites MeuTimão and UOL, and Ge reported on Friday.
After parting ways with Atletico Madrid, Depay is now a free agent and has reportedly agreed to an offer from the Brazilian club. He is expected to sign a contract that will last until the end of 2026.
Corinthians are expected to spend around €11 million on wages and bonuses to sign the player for two seasons.
Of this amount, around €9 million is to be covered by the sponsor Esportes da Sorte, which may face court-ordered account restrictions due to allegations of money laundering.
According to Ge, Depay will travel to Brazil “in the next few days” to carry out medical tests and be presented at the club. The striker’s staff and the club still need to sort out bureaucratic procedures to close the deal.
The club has until Monday, September 9th, to register Memphis Depay for the Campeonato Brasileiro and Copa do Brasil, and until the 13th to register him for the Copa Sudamericana.
If the deal materializes, the Dutchman will be Corinthians’ 19th signing in 2024, even though the club owes more than two billion reais.
Depay career path
A product of PSV, Memphis, as he prefers to be known, represented the Netherlands at Euro 2024. His most recent match was on July 10th when the Oranje faced a semi-final defeat to England.
Before ending his career with Atletico, he played for Manchester United, Lyon, and Barcelona. Last season, the striker made 39 appearances for Atleti, scoring nine goals and providing two assists.
Memphis represented the Dutch national team in the 2014 and 2022 World Cups, where he scored three goals. With a total of 46 goals, he stands as the second all-time leading scorer for the Netherlands, only behind Robin Van Persie.
Depay scored nine goals in 31 La Liga games during his time at Atletico Madrid. With no room in Diego Simeone’s team, the Dutchman didn’t have his contract extended.
