Sunderland have gone back in for Igor Paixão with an offer worth up to €40m (£34.6m), and the ball is now in Marseille’s court.
The Black Cats saw an earlier €30m (£26m) bid turned down, but they haven’t walked away. With Tuesday’s 11pm deadline getting closer, they have now put considerably more money on the table.
Brazil’s Globo Esporte says the new proposal is €31m (£26.8m) guaranteed, with another €9m (£7.8m) available through bonuses.
Sunderland come back with more money
We covered last week that Marseille had rejected €30m (£26m) and pushed their asking price up to €38m (£32.9m). Sunderland have now answered that by offering a package which can reach €40m (£34.6m).
There is still a catch in how the deal is structured. Only €31m (£26.8m) is guaranteed, while almost a quarter of the total depends on bonuses.
Marseille haven’t given Sunderland an answer yet. Globo Esporte explains that the French club have been making things difficult because of what they paid for Paixão last summer. Their deal with Feyenoord was worth €35m (£30.3m), including bonuses.
Even so, there is optimism on both sides that they can get this sorted. They don’t have much time to play with. The Premier League window closes on Tuesday, so Sunderland can hardly afford another long round of talks.
Paixão is already on board
Things look much more straightforward when it comes to the player. Globo Esporte says Paixão has a verbal agreement with Sunderland over a five-year contract. The Brazilian has already given the move his approval.
He feels this is the right time to take the next step in his career and have a go in the Premier League.
Paixão wasn’t involved when his club faced Monaco on Sunday. The official explanation from the French side was muscle fatigue.
In the end, it all comes down to Marseille. They were previously €8m (£6.9m) short of the French club’s reported asking price. They have responded by putting together a package worth as much as €40m (£34.6m).
Paixão wants the move, Sunderland have found more money and the deadline is almost here. Now they need Marseille to say yes.
