Memphis Depay on the move again? Corinthians chief discusses possible transfer for Netherlands star but new contract remains an option for Man Utd flop

Corinthians chief Fabinho Soldado confirmed in a recent interview that the likes of Depay are not indispensable to the club, with a transfer very much plausible, but also insisted that the Netherlands international could be tied down to a new deal.

Depay rose to prominence at Dutch side PSV Eindhoven, which saw him being snapped up by Manchester United. After two unsuccessful seasons in the Premier League, the Dutchman arrived at Lyon and became an instant hit, scoring 76 goals in 178 games during his five-year stint in France. His consistency in front of goal led to a high-profile transfer to Barcelona, but the move didn't work out as planned. Fellow La Liga giants Atletico Madrid placed their bets on Depay, but he could aggregate a paltry figure of just 40 appearances in two seasons, which saw him make a shock European exit and sign for Brazilian outfit Corinthians in the summer of 2024. Now, after one year in Brazil, the 31-year-old has been at the center of speculation linking him with another transfer.

The interviewer at Brazilian outlet ge asked Soldado, "There is speculation that, due to the political uncertainty, Memphis Depay may leave Corinthians in the next transfer window. Is that a concern of yours?"

The Corinthians executive replied: "I can't be worried about a situation that hasn't happened yet. I know that the information is being sent to you (journalists), but I'm with Memphis here at the training center every day. He's never shown any dissatisfaction, he's never called me to say anything. If that happens at some point, and I'm telling everyone this, we'll have to sit down and listen. Nothing has happened for Memphis. You talk about speculation, but how can I comment on that? Nothing has happened.

"What I can tell you is this: one of my roles as an executive at a big club like Corinthians is to be prepared for anything that might happen. If something unexpected happens, we need to have the skills and knowledge to make decisions. Football is very dynamic. We are talking about one situation now that could be different in a few hours. I need to be prepared, alert and attentive to find a solution for a demand that we are not expecting, but that could arise along the way."

On a potential renewal for Depay, he explained: "Not yet, but it is a situation that we will need to look into soon. Not only with him, but there are others here that we need to sit down and discuss at the right time. Right now there is no open conversation with him about this. It is not the time to talk about it."

The ex-Man Utd flop continues to be an integral part of the Netherlands' national team setup. With the exclusive transfer window for the Club World Cup set to shut down on Tuesday, it is expected that Depay will not be signing for a team participating in the tournament. His future will likely be resolved in the coming weeks, but before that happens, he will feature in Corinthians' next game, in which they face Gremio on Thursday, June 12.