Igor Paixão

Arsenal make contact for Paixão, Marseille and their manager push back

Gabriel Martinelli's exit leaves a hole on the left, and Arsenal are sweeping the market to fill it before 1 September. Igor Paixão, a 26-year-old right-footed left winger at Marseille, comes up in that context: Graeme Bailey wrote for TEAMtalk on 26 August that Arsenal have "asked about" the Brazilian. That is all that is established at this stage — no bid, no club-to-club talks. Sunderland are much further along: two offers lodged and rejected by Marseille, and an agreement on personal terms with the player. Aston Villa have enquired too. Marseille, for their part, do not want to sell: Bruno Genesio is reported to have said he would consider his own position if his winger left. Paixão is coming off a first season of 12 goals and 7 assists in 43 games.

Latest development

1. 3 September — File cooled. Igor Paixão stayed at Marseille when the window shut, with Arsenal having only made enquiries and never lodged an offer. Nothing can move before January.

   2 September — Igor Paixao stayed at Marseille. Sunderland had a verbal agreement with the player but never found common ground with OM, who had turned down a first bid and were in no position to register a replacement before the deadline anyway. Arsenal, for their part, only made enquiries and never tabled an offer. The file is frozen until January.

2. 30/08contact made, but the obstacle is inside the Marseille dressing room.

   Arsenal have enquired about Igor Paixão while anticipating Martinelli's exit, and ESPN place him among the options genuinely being explored on the left. The problem is not the price but the seller's willingness: Marseille want to keep the Brazilian, who scored 10 and assisted 6 in 38 games last season, and manager Bruno Genesio is said to have made clear he would "reconsider his position" if a sale were sanctioned before the deadline. An agreement with Sunderland is also reported, which Arsenal would have to gazump. Nothing has been tabled by the Gunners: this stays at interest.

3. 28/08 (morning)ESPN picks up the link, the balance of power has not changed.

   ESPN relayed TEAMtalk's report on 27 August: Arsenal have made an enquiry about Igor Paixão, and Aston Villa are monitoring him too. The 26-year-old Brazilian is coming off a season of 10 goals and 6 assists in 38 games at Marseille.

   Nothing has changed underneath, and it is worth being blunt: Sunderland are the ones holding an agreement on personal terms, and Marseille keep saying they want to keep him. The only counterweight is financial — Marseille are in no position to turn down a very large offer, and they do not pretend otherwise. Arsenal have not made one. The entry stays at INTEREST and will only move on a top-tier source.

   New file, opened on 27/08 on a report dated 26 August. What is established: an Arsenal enquiry, reported by TEAMtalk, as part of the search for a left winger after Martinelli's scheduled departure. What is not: everything else. No Arsenal bid, no talks with Marseille, and crucially no follow-up from Ornstein, Romano or Sky — the other outlets (Sports Mole, ArsenalCore, LiveScore) are recycling that single source.

   The balance of power is unfavourable too: Sunderland hold the agreement with the player, and Marseille do not want to sell. So we open this file at the lowest level that stays honest — INTEREST, ONE TO WATCH — because the context makes it plausible, not because it is solid. It will only move up with a top-tier source.