If Sunderland were waiting for a signal to reignite their interest in Igor Paixão, they may have just received it.

The Black Cats were very keen on the Brazilian winger in the summer, making several attempts to get him from Marseille.

The French club needed big sales to help balance the books and the winger, one of their prized assets, was very much up for sale.

Sunderland pushed to try and get a deal done. Indeed, Sport Witness reported that they were just minutes away from that happening.

A few months on, and things are not great for Paixao. He’s struggling for form and he’s been told directly that he should have joined Sunderland in the summer.

Eyes on January

All eyes are now on the January transfer window. Sport Witness reported this week that the conditions were looking favourable for Sunderland to get a deal done.

They now look slightly more favourable again as his agents have been shutting down potential transfer avenues this week. This particular one was Brazilian club Vasco.

Reports had linked them with a potential move for the winger in the coming months. The channel Detetives Vascaínos reported that the Marseille winger is being monitored.

That led VDG-Cast to reach out to the player’s entourage to clarify his situation. They wanted to know if there was anything to the growing rumour.

But they perhaps didn’t get the response that they wished for. Paixão’s team categorically shut down the Vasco idea for the time being.

“Nothing has come through, and the player has no interest in returning to Brazil,” the representatives declared. That, then, should put an end to the rumour. And be a potential boost to Sunderland.

January move?

Clearly Paixão wants to stay in Europe and with things looking uncomfortable at Marseille, the opportunity is there for the Black Cats.

The question is whether they want to move or can.

After signing Malick Fofana at the end of the window, their need for a winger isn’t as strong as it once was.

And the ones they have, like Chemsdine Talbi, are already questioning their minutes and how they can get in.

If they do move, though, at least they won’t have to compete with any Brazilian clubs for his signature.