Leeds have been linked with a second attempt to sign a pacy winger with a startling scoring record – but could Aston Villa beat them to a deal?
Last summer, as Leeds United prepared for their first season back in the Premier League, they put a considerable amount of time and energy into their pursuit of Brazilian winger Igor Paixão – only to be beaten to his signature by Marseille. A year on, however, they may get a second bite of the cherry.
A new report from French outlet L’Equipe suggests that Leeds are back in for the 26-year-old and that a deal is a realistic possibility. Daniel Farke’s side may face competition for Paixão once more, however, with Aston Villa also in the picture this time around. So will he be on his way to England at last – and if so, will Leeds be frustrated once again?
Leeds & Aston Villa preparing transfer bids for Igor Paixão – reports
Although Paixão enjoyed a perfectly respectable debut season in France, he could still be up for sale as Marseille work to trim down the size of their squad and their wage bill following their failure to qualify for the Champions League.
Paixão scored 12 goals and provided six assists across the 2025/26 campaign – less impressive than his scoring record in the Eredivisie with Feyenoord, but still a reasonable return on Marseille’s €30m (£26m) investment. Nevertheless, with financial sacrifices a necessity for the Ligue 1 side, he is believed to be available for the right price.
According to L’Equipe, Marseille value Paixão at around €50m (£43m), which would represent a tidy profit on their initial outlay. Whether either Leeds or Aston Vila would be prepared to pay quite so much is currently unclear.
Leeds supposedly value Paixão at no more than €35m (£30m), suggesting a significant gulf in valuations which could present a significant barrier to a deal. Villa’s valuation isn’t yet known, but even after the big-money sale of Morgan Rogers they are expected to try to keep their purse strings relatively tight having already fallen foul of UEFA’s stringent spending rules.
The Villans were fined €22.5m (£19.5m) by UEFA after breaching the organisation’s squad cost rules for 2025 and while the sale of the women’s team to a holding company run by the club’s owners helped them to stay on the right side of the Premier League’s PSR regulations, that accountancy trick didn’t work in Europe. They have to keep their belts tight thanks to that historic shortfall and could face a ban from continental competition if they were to break UEFA’s rules once more.
The extent of Aston Villa’s interest isn’t certain in any case – L’Equipe state that initial enquiries have been made, but not whether they have spoken to Marseille or to the player’s representatives. If the first impression they receive is that a deal will prove to be too expensive, they may well clear a path for Leeds.
Leeds’ own interest is much clearer given that they made a concerted effort to sign Paixão last summer. Marseille’s valuation may prove to be steep for them, too, although there could be more room for negotiation if the French outfit fail to find buyers for other players who seem to be for sale. This could be a story which drags out as a result of their situation.
Would Paixão be a good signing for Leeds – or Villa?
A left winger who scored 18 goals and provided 14 assists in his final year with Feyenoord, Paixão is blessed with an explosive change of pace and impressive close control – both of which combine to make him something of a menace around the penalty area.
In the Netherlands he demonstrated exceptional finishing – his 16 league goals came from just 10.56xG – and the ability to break past full-backs with regularity, although he wasn’t able to replicate his success in full in France.
During the Ligue 1 season, he attempted around half as many dribbles, which somewhat neutered one of his greatest strengths, his crossing accuracy tumbled and he wasn’t able to find the back of the net with quite as much regularity, scoring just six goals from 6.45xG – although he did manage four goals in just eight Champions League appearances, including a brace against Ajax in what was perhaps his best performance of the season.
Paixão still contributed a considerable amount but was far less consistent and some of his most piratical attacking play was absent. If Leeds or Aston Villa signed the player we saw last season, it’s unlikely that he would fully repay a €50m price tag – but the version of the Brazilian on show in the Netherlands was a different proposition altogether.
If Leeds were to make a move, it would almost certainly indicate a move away from the 3-5-2 system which proved so successful for Farke last season, and the move to a back three may mean that Paixão is a less evident tactical fit for the team than he was a year ago before the change was made. Between that, his less impressive form in France, and Marseille’s allegedly high valuation, there are many reasons why they may decline to take their second chance at a deal – and with Aston Villa, financial considerations would play a part even if they determined that Paixão was a perfect fit.
In short, there are many hurdles that would have to be cleared before a deal took place, and some reasons for either side to be wary. But there is a version of Paixão which combines lightning pace, mazy dribbling skills and a significant goal threat – and either Leeds or Villa may yet be prepared to gamble on their ability to unlock that player.