MEMPHIS DEPAY is at risk of having his Corinthians contract RIPPED UP just one month after joining the club.
The former Manchester United winger joined the Brazilian outfit in September, having left Atletico Madrid in the summer.
Depay, 30, signed a two-year contract with Corinthians but could see his time at the club come to an end 23 months early.
He could leave the club and become a free agent due to doubts over his salary, which may not be paid for the remainder of his deal.
This is down to his pay coming from one of Corinthian’s sponsors, a betting company called Esportes da Sorte.
It has been reported that the company has been denied a state license, which would make their funding uncertain.
This would make paying the Dutchman’s believed salary of £9million-per-year doubtful.
As a result, the £170,000-a-week star could see his contract terminated in order to save the club from sourcing the wages from other resources.
Since joining the club, the forward has featured in four games for Corinthians.
He is yet to score his first goal in South America but has picked up two assists.
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The gambling company is hopeful that the issues can be ironed out and has claimed that a license has now been issued.
Esportes released a statement insisting its commitment to “responsible” gaming and a “reputable market”.
It read: “The Esportes da Sorte Group has operating authorization confirmed and validated by LOTERJ and, therefore, obtains approval from the authority to operate for an initial period of 05 (five) years.
“In addition, it is seeking the SPA/MF license, and awaits, in the coming days, the granting of another license after an administrative appeal, given strict compliance with all legal and regulatory procedures established by legislation and its respective ordinances.
“Grupo Esportes da Sorte reinforces its commitment to regulating the sector and responsible gaming, supporting a legal and reputable market, aiming to protect the interests of bettors and striving for a serious and transparent industry.”
However, that does not solve their issue with Corinthians as the company is yet to be given a spot on the Federal Register.
The situation must be solved by October 10 to fix the situation with the SPA-MF (Prizes and Betting Secretariat of the Ministry of Finance).
If the problem is not solved Corinthians could lose Depay as well as their shirt sponsor.
Depay was at Manchester United between 2015 and 2017 after joining from PSV.
After failing to live up to the high expectations he left the Red Devils and rebuilt his career in Lyon.
After four years in France, he made the move to Barcelona and, after two seasons, joined Atletico Madrid in 2023.
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