Paul Seixas is close to deciding his future: Decathlon prepares a mega-offer to keep him

The 2026 season has ended for Paul Seixas, and his future is once again at the center of the transfer market. The Frenchman, who has a contract with Decathlon CMA CGM until the end of 2027, could decide in the coming weeks whether to renew with the French team or accept one of the offers from the big teams that have been interested in signing him for months.

Paul Seixas could decide his future in the coming weeks

Paul Seixas' victory at Il Lombardia, his first Monument at just 20 years old, has skyrocketed his value in the international peloton. After a season in which he also finished fourth in the Tour de France, the Frenchman ends the year as one of the most sought-after riders in the market.

According to L'Équipe, the coming weeks could be decisive in determining where Seixas will race starting in 2028. His competitive calendar has ended, and now he will have time to consider the various options before preparing for the next season.

The Frenchman still has several commitments with his team. Between October 19 and 23, he will participate in a training camp for Decathlon CMA CGM at their facilities in the French Alps, where they will begin organizing the 2027 season. Afterwards, he will travel to Asia to participate in the criteriums of the Tour de France in Singapore and Saitama.

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During this period, a decision that has been postponed for months could take place. However, there is a significant difference between the two options he has on the table. If Seixas decides to renew with Decathlon, the agreement could be announced soon. If he chooses to leave, his signing with another team would not occur until 2028, once his current contract has ended.

For now, neither the rider nor his representative, Joona Laukka, have confirmed that a decision has been made.

Decathlon is willing to make an extraordinary offer to retain him

At Decathlon CMA CGM, they know that keeping Seixas has become the main priority of their sports project. The French team is preparing an extraordinary financial offer, described by the French press as a XXL contract, to convince him to extend his commitment beyond 2027.

A renewal of this nature could place him among the highest-paid cyclists in the world, even above Tadej Pogačar, although no specific figures from Decathlon's proposal have been publicly confirmed.

The team has also taken steps to improve its financial capacity. In September, it announced that, starting in 2027, it will manage its contracts through a company established in Switzerland, maintaining its French sporting nationality and its performance center in Savoie. This reorganization could allow it to offer more competitive salary conditions. But Decathlon does not want money to be its only argument.

In an interview with Le Parisien, Mathieu Charpentier, the deputy general director of the team, expressed confidence that the French structure can offer him everything he needs to achieve his sporting goals.

"Honestly, what more could he have elsewhere?" the director posed, insisting that his job is to provide the rider with the best conditions to continue progressing and winning.

Charpentier also hinted that they will continue to invest in nutrition, innovation, artificial intelligence, and equipment to reduce the gaps with the more powerful WorldTour structures.

This strategy continues the plan that Decathlon presented after the Tour de France to convince Seixas to renew. The arrival of Romain Bardet as sports manager in 2027 and the moves to strengthen the mountain block, with names like Ben O'Connor, Pavel Sivakov, and Laurens De Plus, are part of this transformation.

Visma, UAE, and INEOS are still waiting for his decision

While Decathlon works to retain him, the teams interested in Seixas are waiting for developments.

Visma Lease a Bike has been trying to approach the Frenchman for some time. As was already known during the Tour de France, Richard Plugge and the management of the Dutch team have been in contact with his entourage, presenting a sports project that could make him one of their main leaders for stage races.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG has also not hidden its interest. Mauro Gianetti has publicly acknowledged that he would be willing to sign him, although the team has already committed its sporting future to Tadej Pogačar and Isaac del Toro.

Netcompany-INEOS also appears among the candidates, while Pinarello Q36.5 was the subject of one of the most striking economic rumors of the summer, with a supposed proposal of 13 million euros per year that was never confirmed.

In fact, the latest information from Italy placed Seixas outside of Decathlon in 2028, with Visma and INEOS among the main favorites to secure his signing.

However, the news known this week does not allow us to take that scenario for granted. Decathlon continues to work on his renewal, and there is no confirmation that Seixas has reached an agreement with any of his suitors.

The decision remains exclusively in the hands of the rider, who has insisted in recent months that he is in no hurry to resolve his future.