Leeds United Igor Paixão blow creates new transfer challenge as winger's reasons revealed
Situations change as quickly as minds in football, as Leeds United's decision makers are finding out.
A few weeks ago there was growing discontent as transfer targets signed for Sunderland instead of Leeds, amid suggestions that recruitment inexperience was costing the Whites in the transfer market. Last week when giants Anton Stach and Lucas Perri stooped to come through the door as signings number six and seven, the narrative had swung wildly the other way. The inexperience narrative had dried up almost completely. Now that Igor Paixão has opted for Marseille over Leeds, tunes will change as night follows day.
Leeds never made any secret of how difficult it would be to land the Brazilian winger from Feyenoord but Marseille's initial inability to strike a deal was part of a growing quiet confidence that there was a chance to swoop in. Feyenoord were receptive to talks even after knocking back Leeds’ first bid and there was nothing on the player side that appeared to be a firm barrier to a deal.
Igor Paixão thinking
Now that Paixão's decision has shed light on Leeds always being behind the Ligue 1 side in the winger's preferences, his camp have confirmed to the YEP that European football was always a priority and Marseille's Champions League place helped to finalise a 'very difficult' personal and family decision. Had it been a Champions League club outside of Europe's big five leagues then Leeds' ability to pay more would likely have won out. But top flight football combined with the elite level of European competition was too much to overcome. And as the YEP reported last week, Marseille followed in Feyenoord's example by impressing Paixão's family with their efforts and overtures. To France he goes and Leeds are left with nothing to show for their presentations and negotiations. They're still in real need of attacking quality. When you get close to adding a star to your squad there is no dressing it up as anything other than a blow when he goes elsewhere.
None of those involved in putting Leeds' transfers together are particularly new to any of this. Sporting director Adam Underwood has been involved in the game and in situ at Thorp Arch for more than a decade. Head of recruitment Alex Davies has been at the club for even longer. Managing director Robbie Evans knows the ups and downs of sport from his years working with the 49ers. The wild swings in public opinion have not gone unnoticed, but it comes with the job. There was a recognition at the outset this summer that the prevailing narrative of the window would be that the 'new guys' couldn't get it done, should they fail to get priority targets in the door.
Having knocked deals done one by one and given Daniel Farke the building blocks for a solid-looking foundation, this is the first real setback to play out in public. Habib Diarra cannot be described as such when Leeds did not value him anywhere near the fee that Sunderland paid. They valued Paixão every bit as highly as Marseille did. And for good reason. A game-changer, a player who can turn nothing into something in the final third, is exactly what might make the difference between relegation and survival.
Leeds Plan B
The challenge now for Leeds is to show the strength of their list. Bring out your Plan B. An instant response in terms of a signed, sealed alternative before the ink is dry on Paixão's Marseille contract would be ideal but it's far from that easy. There will be work to do now to turn prior groundwork into talks and a completed deal. And anyone coming in to play left wing has a challenge in the form of something almost ethereal to live up to. The minds of so many had already conjured up images of a Brazilian winger tearing it up against Premier League defences. Paixão set a certain bar without ever even pulling on a Leeds shirt.
The situation once again demonstrates how quickly things can change because just a few weeks ago the idea of Manor Solomon making a permanent move from Spurs would have lit up the fanbase. Even over the last few days there has been a sense of 'consolation prize' about the Israeli international's name. Not quite to the extent of Aaron Ramsdale in Newcastle minds after they lost out on James Trafford, but Paixão was the shiny new thing and a move that represented serious ambition. Whether or not the player Leeds actually get screams ambition, he has to represent goals and assists in decent numbers. There was a reason why Leeds went so big on Paixão and why he was ahead of Solomon, Dilane Bakwa and others in their thinking.
Another factor in all of this is that world football has been given an idea of what Leeds believe they can afford, for the right attacker. Driving a bargain will be a difficult task when trying to prise a high quality winger out of another club when everyone around the table knows the level of expenditure Leeds could devote to a deal. It will be a test for the recently-formed recruitment structure. As Farke said, the last bits of transfer business are not just the 'icing on the cake' but additions every bit as vital as the ones that preceded them. It won't be Paixão but it has to be good.