Marseille agree deal to sign Leeds United target Igor Paixao | OneFootball

Leeds United have been dealt a massive blow in their bid to sign Feyenoord winger Igor Paixao.

According to RMC Sport, Olympique Marseille have won the race to sign the Brazilian forward after agreeing a deal with the Dutch side.

They have reportedly agreed a deal for Paixao to move to the Orange Velodrome for an initial €30 million, with an additional €5m in bonuses.

The 25-year-old has already been given the green light to travel to France to undergo medical after agreeing a five-year contract with Marseille.

Marseille were first on the scene in the race to sign Paixao, but they were reluctant to match Feyenoord’s €35m asking price, which paved the way for Leeds to swoop in.

Over the past couple of days, it looked like the Brazilian was on his way to Elland Road amid reports that he was enthusiastic about the prospect of playing in the Premier League.

Leeds had moved into pole position to land his signature after submitting a €30m bid.

Marseille had backed out of the race after having two bids turned down, giving Leeds a clear run at the exciting winger.

The Yorkshire club played the waiting game smartly, stepping in once their rivals appeared financially outmatched and even slightly improved their bid to speed up a deal.

However, Marseille refused to give up and reignited talks at the last minute. They have now agreed a deal for the Brazilian in a massive blow to Leeds’ transfer plans.

The prospect of playing Champions League football also contributed to Paixao’s decision to turn down the newly promoted Leeds in favour of the Ligue 1 runners-up.

Paixao would have been a massive addition for Leeds as they look to cement a place in the Premier League. He bagged 18 goals and 19 assists in 47 games for Feyenoord last season.

Replicating those numbers in the Premier League would have been difficult, but he was worth the punt.