Arsenal have been linked with a swoop for Marseille's Brazilian winger Igor Paixao, who they previously tracked during his time at Feyenoord
Igor Paixao
Marseille winger Igor Paixao has been linked with a transfer to Arsenal in the past day or so
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In the past 12 hours, speculation suggesting that Arsenal are considering a move for Marseille attacker Igor Paixao has been bubbling away in France.
For now, the credibility of these rumours remains unclear. Naturally, the 26-year-old is the kind of profile that would fit the bill, given he is a right-footed left-winger, which is ideally what sporting director Andrea Berta is seeking to recruit.
The Gunners examined the player during his time in Holland with Feyenoord before he snubbed a switch to Leeds in favour of a club-record £30million transfer to Marseille last August.
Now, it appears there is scope to do a deal, should Arsenal wish to do so. Gabriel Martinelli is edging closer to a mega-money move to Al-Hilal, and the Premier League champions have so far, struggled to settle on their preferred replacement.
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Juventus have dug their heels in regarding Kenan Yildiz, who has now sustained a foot injury, while PSG's valuation for Liverpool target Bradley Barcola is considered excessive. Morgan Rogers, Mikel Arteta's dream target, also joined Chelsea in a monstrous £117m transfer.
Arsenal have acquired Christos Tzolis but are also open to signing another left-winger, in addition to striker Julian Alvarez, if the right candidate becomes available.
If they decide they want Paixao, he will almost certainly be available. That's because Marseille remain under financial pressure after being hit by a UEFA fine and squad restrictions for breaching financial rules.
Additionally, OM, alongside Lyon, were hit with sanctions from the Direction Nationale du Controle de Gestion (DNCG), French football’s financial watchdog, in June.
Igor Paixao
Marseille could be forced to cash-in on Igor Paixao before the transfer deadline if a suitable offer is tabled
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They have posted record losses in recent years, and their spending power has been extremely limited this summer despite being forced to cash-in on Mason Greenwood, who moved to Fenerbahce in a deal worth £38.36m.
Marseille are also one of several big-name French clubs to have suffered from issues related to Ligue 1's broadcast rights, while their failure to qualify for the Champions League didn't help matters, either.
OM will be competing in the Europa League next season, but none of their most-prized assets are certain to stay. There was frustration in some quarters at the Velodrome earlier this month when former Tottenham midfielder, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, rejected a move to Newcastle, as he is one of the club's highest-earners.
It's not definitive that Arsenal will move for Paixao, but he's an attractive option on the market and also has interest from the Saudi Pro League.