Aston Villa and Leeds United are keen on signing 26-year-old Brazilian winger Igor Paixao from Ligue 1 club Marseille this summer.
According to a report by French outlet L’Equipe, a move to the Premier League may be on the cards for Igor Paixao. Marseille may cash in on the 26-year-old winger as they are ready to “downsize their squad and are ready to sell players” in the ongoing transfer window.
Per L’Equipe, the South American attacker is a target for Leeds United again after they attempted to sign him last summer. Additionally, he is the subject of interest from Aston Villa. The report states that both Premier League clubs are pursuing the winger and will aim to secure his services in the coming weeks.
Igor Paixao and his French adventure
Igor Paixao has continued his progress since joining Marseille from Feyenoord last summer. The 26-year-old arrived in France after an exceptional stint with Feyenoord, but he was in and out of the starting lineup in his debut season with the Ligue 1 club.
The Brazilian attacker managed 2,781 minutes of game time across 42 appearances across all competitions, with fell short of the typical 3,500-minute benchmark for a regular starter. However, he produced an impressive tally of 12 goals and seven assists in those outings. That is perhaps why his stocks remains high, with Premier League clubs vying for his signature.
Will Paixao finally move to England?
Leeds United wanted to sign Igor Paixao last summer, but a move did not materialise. The revived interest makes logical sense, as Daniel Farke wants more firepower in the final third. While the Whites have a stacked attack, Farke wants to take the productivity burden off Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and a pacy winger like Paixao can unlock a new facet of Leeds United’s gameplay.
As for Aston Villa, the Villans also hold a long-standing interest in the Marseille winger. The continued interest is understandable, as they need more output from the wide areas after parting ways with Jadon Sancho, whose loan spell has ended. Additionally, Leon Bailey faces an uncertain future at Villa Park amid his links with Hull City.
With Marseille ready to entertain offers to part ways with the Brazilian winger, a summer move to the Premier League appears to be on the cards. Aston Villa’s Champions League status gives them an edge over Leeds in securing the winger, though the exact fee Marseille will demand to sell him remains unclear.