Aston Villa have been linked to a Brazilian winger who won a league title with Arne Slot, the former Liverpool boss.
Aston Villa’s search for a pacey winger is not over yet. Unai Emery still needs a player with this kind of profile despite having signed Alejandro Garnacho on loan. Evan Guessand has not been able to impress the Spanish boss during pre-season, while the likes of George Hemmings and Samuel Iling Junior might need more regular minutes to develop before competing at the top level.
Thus, Villa are still hunting more players for their transfer business this summer. According to L’Équipe via Sports View, Villa are currently eyeing a target on South American talent.
“Aston Villa have made an enquiry about the availability of Marseille winger Igor Paixao.”
The 26-year-old winger signed for OM last summer from Feyenoord. He is still under contract until 2030. Aston Villa are currently in the mix to sign him. They are likely to be in a tussle for his signature with fellow Premier League side Leeds United.
With such a contract, Marseille holds a stronger position in the negotiations. However, the Ligue 1 side are open to selling him for a minimum of £30 million. Such an amount should not be a problem for either club, including The Lions. In fact, Villa have an advantage over the Whites in the race due to the opportunity to play in the Champions League.
Paixao made quite an impact in his first season with OM. He contributed 12 goals and six assists in 42 games in all competitions. Previously, he was a star at Feyenoord. Under Arne Slot, he registered 39 goals and 23 assists in 129 games. The Macapa-born winger was instrumental in Feyenoord’s success in winning the Eredivisie in 2023 and the KNVB Cup in 2024, which he scored the only goal of the game against NEC Nijmegen in the final.
The winger, who started his career with Coritiba, is versatile too. He can operate as a number 10 and left wing-back alongside his main position as a left winger.
Based on data from FotMob, Paixao excels in the attacking side. His xG last season was 6.45, while his xA was 2.64. He created 23 shots on target in Ligue 1. His successful pass rate was 82.7%, while his accurate long-ball rate was 63.8%. However, his successful dribble rate reached only 32.5%. His duel-winning rate was 42%.
His defensive contribution was impressive too. The Brazilian made 68 defensive contributions, including 29 tackles, 15 interceptions, two blocked shots, and 22 clearances. The winger who has yet to earn a call-up with Selecao might have to improve his crossing. His rate for successful cross last season in Ligue 1 was very low, only 12.5 %.
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