According to Globo.com, Hulk guaranteed he will stay at Atlético-MG in 2026. The club offered the striker a contract extension until the end of 2027, but Hulk rejected this. He is expected to fulfill his contract until the end of the year, without exercising the automatic renewal clause linked to playing in half of the team's games. Paulo Bracks, Galo's CSO, stated that the club does not want the player to depart. An off-field project presented to Hulk by the club was not well received by the striker and his staff.

According to Globo.com, Hulk's representatives have informed the management of Atlético-MG that there will be no renewal and that the player will leave in December. Paulo Bracks, director of Atlético, states that the club offered a contract extension until 2027.

According to ESPN BR, Hulk stated he will fulfill his contract with Atlético-MG, which is valid until the end of this year. He said Atlético-MG gave approval for other clubs to present proposals to him. Hulk also added that another club presented a clear two-year sporting proposal that was financially smaller than his deal with Atlético-MG but valued him more in sporting terms.

Hulk has made his first comments on social media about a potential departure. The player wants to end his contract with the club from Minas Gerais without a termination fee, which is approximately R$ 60 million. While representatives of Hulk are trying to arrange a mutually agreeable departure from Galo, the football executive has announced that the management does not want the striker to leave. A commercial project that was offered does not incentivize the player to remain, and he thinks the club wants him to retire.