According to ESPN Brazil, new details have emerged regarding the failed transfer of Corinthians midfielder André Luiz to AC Milan. The player's agent, Diogo Silva, revealed that André had already spoken with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Luka Modrić, and that all transfer documents were ready. However, the deal ultimately collapsed because Corinthians president Osmar Stabile refused to sign the paperwork.

Diogo Silva stated: "It was the president's decision not to sell André to Milan. At that time, both Corinthians and André were performing excellently during the Campeonato Paulista. André was scoring goals and going through an excellent period, but the president decided not to sign the offer, which had already been finalized and accepted. He decided not to complete the sale."

"Obviously, with hindsight, people will think it was a mistake, but in the president's mind at the time, it was the right decision. Unfortunately, André was unable to finalize the transfer. He remains at Corinthians, which is a great club with a prestigious jersey, and he will continue his work there. When everyone believes he should be transferred, it will happen naturally."

The agent revealed that André has temporarily set the transfer aside: "I met with André yesterday, mainly to reassure him. I told him that everything had been reset, and there are no transfer negotiations at the moment. We will handle things more calmly and prepare for the next transfer window."

"Our idea is to renegotiate a price with Corinthians so we can position ourselves in the market and find a balance between the price Corinthians wants and what interested clubs are willing to pay for André."

ESPN had previously reported that Milan reached a verbal agreement with Corinthians' football department for André's transfer, but in the final stages of negotiations, president Stabile vetoed the 17 million euro transfer proposal.

Milan then increased its offer to a fixed transfer fee of 18 million euros, plus 4 million euros in add-ons. Of these add-ons, 2 million euros were tied to objectives André could achieve while still at Corinthians, including his appearances; the other 2 million euros were tied to his performance targets after joining Milan.

When asked why he considered the club's decision at the time to be problematic, Diogo Silva explained: "When I say it was a mistake, you have to look at it from two angles. The first thought is that we kept him because we believed his value would increase further. I think that's where the problem lies."

"In hindsight, it's considered a mistake, but at the time, it could have been the right decision. If Corinthians had subsequently won the Campeonato Paulista and he had made the Brazilian national team, the outcome would have been completely different. He was already on the national team's preliminary roster. So the real issue is timing."

"In my opinion, timing is always essential. If the sale had gone through at that time, it would look like a good deal today, because Corinthians wouldn't have faced a transfer ban and could have used the money to pay salaries and strengthen the squad. So this was a misjudgment by the club, not by me."

Diogo Silva also stated: "Personally, I must say it's very difficult to work with Corinthians. I know the club is currently going through a turbulent and difficult period, with tight finances, but I still find cooperation challenging."

He then disclosed more details about Milan's contact with André: "André is a very calm young man, from a good family, and very understanding. He's introverted, but he feels neither anxiety nor worry at the moment."

"Of course, after already speaking with Modrić and Ibrahimovic... we're talking about Milan, about the possibility of a Brazilian player joining Milan directly after so many years. He spoke with Ibrahimovic and Modrić!"

"At that time, all parties had already signed, including Milan, Corinthians' legal department, my legal team, and the player himself... only the president's signature was missing, and the president ultimately decided not to proceed. We must respect that decision."

The agent denied suggestions that André's mindset was affected by the failed transfer, leading to two subsequent red cards.

"He received two red cards later, and some linked it to a 'lack of concentration,' but those were just normal mistakes made by a young player due to lack of experience."

"As for his current value, the market must determine it, not me. The transfer market is a matter of supply and demand. Now, André must continue to get playing time and perform well, and Corinthians must also return to good form, so we can achieve a transfer at a high price, which is what everyone wants to see."

"We'll see what offers are on the table. A player's value is truly the amount the market is willing to put on the table, not what you think he's worth."

Cristiano Kaus, the lawyer involved in the legal work on the deal, also confirmed to ESPN that Milan officially pursued the transaction at the time.

Kaus stated: "It's no secret. In principle, Milan submitted an offer to Corinthians, which was officially accepted, and the contract draft had entered the modern electronic signature platform for circulation. But at the last moment, Corinthians decided not to proceed."

"Corinthians' initial conditions were communicated to Milan, but the club then made higher demands, and Milan almost withdrew from the deal. So after the agreement had already been reached, Corinthians chose to back out and restart negotiations."

"It was Corinthians who abandoned the agreement. The contract had already started circulating, but Corinthians felt the player's value should be higher, so the club wanted more, also considering the improvement in the player's asset value. The club had its reasons for doing so."

"You never know what the future holds, and timing is not something we can control. Ultimately, the future will tell whether Corinthians' decision at the time was correct, or if the assessment of the player's team—that the transfer should have been completed at that moment—was more appropriate."

Traduit par IA.

Le site web d'AF est désormais en ligne ! Actualités complètes, commentaires, détails des matchs et statistiques sur votre ordinateur. Visitez : www.allfootballapp.com