Igor Paixao now looks like the man who Leeds United will turn their attention to next, with a double midfielder deal now on the horizon.
Leeds United have made steady progress so far this summer with four new signings through the door, and another two expected to arrive in the coming days.
This week, reports first revealed how Leeds have agreed a fee for Sean Longstaff at Newcastle United after having several bids initially rejected by the Magpies, before later reports revealed how Leeds have agreed personal terms with Anton Stach.
There seems to be a way to go still on a deal for Stach: it’s now being claimed that Stuttgart are in talks to sign Stach, but the expectation remains that he arrives at Elland Road this summer.
After him and Longstaff, the next player who Daniel Farke could potentially recruit is Igor Paixao.
Marseille’s chances of signing Leeds United transfer target Igor Paixao revealed
Earlier in the summer, Feyenoord winger Paixao was linked with a move to Leeds United after his stunning 2024/25 season in the Eredivisie, where he scored 16 goals and assisted 10 more in 34 league matches for Robin van Persie’s side. And on Wednesday, fresh reports emerged, revealing that Leeds United have met with Paixao’s camp to discuss a potential transfer.
It’s understood that Marseille are also interested in Paixao, the 25-year-old Brazilian-born winger. But emerging reports in the Netherlands have revealed that Marseille don’t stand a chance of the signing, given Feyenoord’s £30million asking price which would be a record signing for the Ligue 1 giants.
Dutch journalist Martijn Krabbendam tells Voetbal International: “No one internally believes Marseille has a real chance. The French side will have to break their transfer record just to get a serious deal,” despite Paixao’s father having met with Marseille officials recently.
Why a deal for Igor Paixao has become really important for Leeds United
Paixao seemed like one of many passing links for Leeds this summer. But his links to Elland Road have quickly gathered speed, and it comes at a convenient time after Manor Solomon was pictured in pre-season training with Spurs.
It’s looking more and more likely that Leeds United are going to miss out on a deal for the Israeli international and so Farke seems to have quickly turned his attentions to Paixao.
And with Marseille now seemingly out of the picture, it could leave Leeds in the clear to pull off what would be a really exciting signing. But it won’t come cheap, and £30million would take a significant chunk out of Leeds United’s £150million transfer budget for this summer too.
But it’s these types of signings that could make all the difference for Farke next season, and Paixao could also be someone who the club could make a huge profit on in years to come.
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