In recent days, new details have emerged regarding the failed negotiations between Milan and Corinthians for young midfielder André. The player’s agent, Diogo Silva, revealed interesting details in an exclusive interview with ESPN during an event organised in São Paulo by the TransferRoom platform. This is what he had to say:
André's agent reveals the details:
“It was the president’s decision. At that time, Corinthians and André were enjoying a great spell in the Paulistão, with André scoring goals and in excellent form, but the president decided not to sign the contracts that had already been prepared. He decided not to go ahead with the sale. Obviously, today we understand that it was a mistake, but in the president’s view, it was the right decision at that moment. Unfortunately, André was not sold. But today he is at Corinthians, a great shirt, a great club, and he will continue doing his job. When everyone is certain that he has to be sold, then it will happen.”
“Yesterday, I met André to reassure him, to tell him that the situation has been reset, that there is currently no negotiation underway, and that from now on we will approach things more calmly and prepare for the next transfer window with peace of mind. The intention is to agree on a new valuation with Corinthians, so that we can enter the market and find an agreement between the figure requested by Corinthians and the clubs that could be interested in André.”
In recent months, Milan had reached an agreement with the Brazilian club for around €17 million before president Osmar Stabile refused to put pen to paper, despite the Rossoneri subsequently restructuring their offer and increasing it to €18m plus €4m in bonuses.
Diogo Silva continued, revealing further details:
“When I referred to a mistake, I was referring to two assessments. The first was thinking that keeping him here would allow his value to increase further. Today we talk about it as a mistake, but at the time it seemed like the right move. If Corinthians had become champions and he had established himself in the Brazil national team... He was on the preliminary list. So, the mistake was the timing. For me, it is always about timing. If they had sold him, today it would have been the right move, because Corinthians would not have its market blocked and could have used the money to pay salaries and strengthen the squad. So, it was a mistake in judgement by the club, not by me. Personally, I have to say that it is very difficult to work with Corinthians. I know it is a turbulent, delicate period, with a lack of funds, but I think it is difficult," as relayed via Milan News.
“André is a very calm boy, he has a great family and a sharp mind. He is introspective, but he is not worried or anxious now. Obviously, after speaking with Modric and Ibrahimovic... We are talking about Milan, about the possibility of a Brazilian player joining Milan directly after so many years. He spoke with Ibra and Modric! Everything had been signed by both sides: by Milan, by Corinthians’ legal department, by my legal team, and by the player... The only thing missing was the president’s signature, and he decided not to proceed."
“We have to respect that decision. After that, there were those two red cards and people started talking about him as being ‘headless’, but they were normal mistakes from a young and inexperienced player. As for his current valuation, it is the market that determines it, not me. It is all about supply and demand. Now André needs to keep playing regularly, keep performing well, and Corinthians need to return to form so that they can sell him for a high price, which is what everyone wants. We will assess what is on the table. A player’s value is what is on the table, not what you think it is.”
Further details were provided by lawyer Cristiano Caús of CCLA Advogados, the law firm that provided legal assistance during the operation:
"It is no secret to anyone. Milan had, in theory, concluded this deal with Corinthians; the offer had been formally accepted and the drafts had been sent to be signed on modern digital-signature platforms. At the last moment, Corinthians did not want to proceed. What the club had initially requested, and what had been offered to Milan, was then supplemented by an additional request from Corinthians, and Milan decided to withdraw from the agreement. So it was a withdrawal and renegotiation after the initial agreement had already been reached."
"The step back came from Corinthians. Corinthians believed the player was worth more, precisely at that moment when the contract was practically signed. The club preferred to ask for a little more. And the club was right. You never know... Corinthians are doing their duty by increasing the value of their asset. We cannot control the timing. The future will tell whether Corinthians made the right decision or whether the player’s representatives were right to push for the transfer at that moment."
