Memphis Depay's Future at Corinthians: A Crucial Decision Ahead
In Montevideo, Zakaria Labyad bought Corinthians time on the pitch – and tried to buy Memphis Depay time off it.
The Moroccan midfielder struck a crucial equaliser against Penarol in continental action, then sent an unmistakable message with his celebration: fingers in his ears, Memphis-style. The goal kept Corinthians alive in a hostile arena. The gesture aimed straight at the club offices in São Paulo.
Labyad didn’t leave the symbolism hanging. He walked into his post-match interview and turned it into a campaign speech on behalf of the dressing room.
Speaking to ESPN, he made it clear the tribute was no coincidence and no mere nod to a friend. It was a statement about a player the squad believes the club cannot afford to lose.
“Yes, of course [the celebration was a tribute to Memphis],” he said, before spelling out exactly what Depay has meant since arriving in Brazil. Three trophies. A team dragged away from the relegation trapdoor. Standards raised, on and off the pitch. A club re-energised by a Dutch star who once lit up Camp Nou and now has Corinthians playing with a different swagger.
“It’s very important for the club to take the next step so that he stays with the club,” Labyad added. “We’ve seen what he’s done in the last two years with the players, for the club, winning three trophies, helping them avoid relegation. He did a great job for the team, so for the club, for us players, we would love for him to stay at Corinthians.”
Inside the squad, that sentiment is not up for debate. The players are aligned: keep the talisman.
The problem sits with the calendar and the calculator. Depay’s current deal expires at the end of July, and the clock is ticking loud enough to echo through the boardroom. Corinthians’ directors are scrambling to assemble a new, lucrative package, leaning heavily on three external commercial partners to underwrite the kind of extension a global name like Depay commands.
While the club wrestles with numbers, the forward has been wrestling with his own body.
This season has been chopped up by a long stint in the treatment room. Since late March, Depay has been out, navigating a complicated physical transition after a period of inactivity. Just as he edged closer to a return, a minor muscular strain in his left leg during training on Monday checked his momentum again.
The medical staff, though, are calm. For them, this is the kind of small imbalance that often appears when an elite player ramps back up after a long lay-off. Annoying, yes. Alarming, no.
The timing could hardly be more intense for Corinthians.
A brutal week looms: three games, three different kinds of pressure. It starts with a physical Brasileirao test at home to Atletico-MG on Sunday, May 24. Then comes a decisive Copa Libertadores group-stage clash against Platense – a fixture that can tilt a season. After that, a trip to face Gremio on May 30, with the accumulated fatigue of the week weighing on every duel and every sprint.
On the pitch, the squad needs Depay’s cutting edge and personality back in the mix. Off it, the directors need to lock in his future before the market starts circling a free agent of his profile.
For now, the Dutchman’s focus stays narrow: complete the final steps of his rehabilitation, clear every medical box, and be ready to tilt domestic games back in Corinthians’ favour.
The club’s focus cannot be so simple. If they want more nights like Montevideo to matter, they have a clear decision to make: is Memphis Depay the centrepiece of the next chapter, or a chapter they let close?
