Ghanaian-born Dutch international striker, Memphis Depay has signed a two-year contract with Brazilian club Corinthians following his departure from Atletico Madrid.
The Netherlands forward, who became a free agent on June 30, has agreed to terms that will keep him at Corinthians until December 2026.
Depay’s move comes after a season at Atletico Madrid where he failed to meet the conditions required to trigger a contract extension. The Athletic reported that Depay’s deal with Atletico, initially expected to run until next summer, required him to play at least 45 minutes in 50% of the available games.
However, Depay’s limited appearances and a total of 40 appearances, including just 14 starts, did not meet this criterion. During his time at Atletico, he scored 13 goals and provided 2 assists.
The Dutch international began his career at PSV and has had stints with Manchester United, Lyon, and Barcelona before joining Atletico in January 2023.
Meanwhile, Depay’s international teammate, Steven Bergwijn, also made a summer move, joining Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad from Ajax. This transfer drew criticism from Netherlands national team manager Ronald Koeman, who excluded Bergwijn from the squad for the Nations League matches against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Germany.
Koeman expressed his disapproval of Bergwijn’s move, stating, “The book is basically closed to him. When you are 26, your main ambition should be sporting, not financial.” However, Koeman acknowledged that Depay’s transfer to Brazil could still keep him in national team consideration, depending on his fitness and form.
