Why Corinthians missed out on a global superstar | OneFootball

According to Globo, Corinthians held serious talks last year regarding a move for Sergio Ramos, but ultimately failed to secure the Spanish centre-back due to financial constraints and a lack of commercial partners willing to underwrite the deal.

Former football director Vinicius Cascone, who was heavily involved in the negotiations alongside ex-financial director Pedro Silveira, described the near-miss on the "Deu Zebra Cast" podcast. Cascone explained that Ramos, who has since joined Monterrey in Mexico, showed a genuine interest in signing for Corinthians as his contract ran down in Europe. The club initiated contact through Ramos’ brother, seeking to capitalise on his star power at a time when Corinthians were hoping to boost their international profile and on-field competitiveness, especially as they faced dangerous form near the relegation zone and lacked certainty about a place in the next year’s Libertadores.

Cascone said, "He had signaled that he wanted to play for Corinthians, but we couldn’t get the partners needed to make it happen.” Efforts were made to involve external sponsors to help shoulder what Cascone described as "a substantial financial request" from the player’s camp, but initial informal agreements with two commercial partners quickly fell apart, leaving the club unable to proceed.

"Money was the issue. We just didn’t have it. Both our financial and political situations made it impossible to move forward with such a project," Cascone reiterated, highlighting the internal turbulence at Corinthians and the lack of resources to drive high-profile signings.

The episode reflects Corinthians’ ambitions to attract global icons and boost their relevance off the pitch, but also underlines the reality of financial restrictions and instability within the boardroom. Ramos, now 39, ultimately opted for Monterrey, where he is currently participating in the Club World Cup. The decorated veteran, whose storied career includes 16 years at Real Madrid, a stint at PSG, and a return to Sevilla, remains Spain’s all-time appearance leader with 180 caps, and his trophy haul features a World Cup (2010) and two European Championships (2008, 2012).

Corinthians’ pursuit of Ramos stood as an “excellent market opportunity” in the view of the board, but the lack of commercial backing mirrors a broader challenge facing Brazilian clubs aiming to close the gap with Europe’s elite both in finances and player recruitment.

Source: Globo

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