In one of the most surprising signings in its history, Corinthians finalized on Friday (6) the arrival of 30-year-old Dutch striker Memphis Depay.
He was without a club following his release from Atlético de Madrid and will arrive in Brazil with a two-year contract with Timão, lasting until the end of 2026. Currently, the parties are working to regularize the work visa and residence permit for the reinforcement in the country.
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The athlete, who has played for clubs such as Barcelona and Manchester United during his career, is expected to arrive in Brazil by next Wednesday (11) to formalize his bond with the São Paulo team.
There is even a possibility for the star to be presented to the Corinthians fans before the match against Juventude on Wednesday at 9 PM (Brasília time) at the Neo Química Arena, for the Copa do Brasil.
The player will receive about R$ 3.5 million per month during this period, in a package that includes salary, signing bonuses, bonuses, and marketing actions, according to Gazeta Esportiva.
The last proposal from Corinthians for the Dutch player, after an initial offer of about R$ 60 million, should total R$ 84 million.
Esportes da Sorte, the major sponsor of the Alvinegro, will allocate R$ 57 million. The remaining R$ 27 million will be assumed by Timão, which expects to leverage part of the profits from marketing activities with Depay.
Depay arrives at Parque São Jorge to compete for a spot in the attack alongside Yuri Alberto, Pedro Raul, and Héctor Hernández.
In his last season with Atlético de Madrid, Memphis recorded 9 goals and 2 assists in 31 games. He terminated his contract in May of this year with the colchoneros.
He is expected to be registered for the competitions that Timão is participating in soon. The deadline for the Copa do Brasil is September 9, for CONMEBOL Sudamericana is September 13, and for the Brazilian Championship is September 20.
Life and Career of Memphis Depay
Born in the small town of Moordrecht, Memphis Depay went through the youth ranks of Moordrecht and Sparta Rotterdam before joining the giant PSV Eindhoven as a young boy in 2006.
At the traditional red and white club, he rose from the under-13 team to higher categories, being promoted to the first team in the 2011/12 season – where he scored 5 goals in 11 games.
The following year, he started making a name for himself at the club, playing a decisive role in winning a Eredivisie, a K/NVB Cup, and a Supercup in the Netherlands.
After scoring 49 goals in 124 appearances for PSV, Depay was sold to Manchester United in the 2015/16 season for 34 million euros, achieving global stardom.
His time with the Red Devils, however, was marked by issues both on and off the field, with very poor performances: only 7 goals and 3 assists in 45 games.
As a result, the English club decided to take a loss and sold Memphis to Lyon the following season for only 16 million pounds.
In France, the Dutchman rediscovered his form and had five great seasons with the team, particularly between 2017 and 2019.
In total, he scored 76 goals and provided 54 assists in 178 matches for the Ligue 1 club, missing only one title to end his time at Lyon on a high note.
In 2021/22, after his contract ended, Depay signed for free with the giant Barcelona, getting another chance at one of the titans of European football.
Once again, however, Memphis’s performance fell short of expectations, suffering various injuries and facing off-field issues that hindered his time at Camp Nou.
In total, he had 14 goals and 2 assists in 42 appearances wearing the blaugrana jersey.
The Dutchman also contributed to the conquests of LALIGA 2022/23 and the Supercopa de España 2023, but ended up leaving Barça in January 2023 to join Atlético de Madrid for only 3 million euros.
The old problems resurfaced, and Memphis terminated his contract with the colchoneros in May of this year, concluding his brief spell in Madrid with 13 goals and 3 assists in 40 matches.
With the Dutch national team, Depay has recorded 46 goals in 98 matches. He is the 2nd highest scorer in the history of the Oranje, behind only the legendary Robin van Persie, who scored 50 goals.
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With the orange team, he was champion of the U17 European Championship in 2011 and was part of historic campaigns, such as the 3rd place in the 2014 World Cup and the semifinal of Euro 2024.
Off the field, Memphis is also known for his extravagant personality and for venturing into music, pursuing a “parallel career” as a hip-hop singer.