Sunderland AFC’s transfer target Igor Paixão (26) is unavailable for Olympique de Marseille’s away match against AS Monaco this Sunday, his manager Bruno Genesio announced at a press conference.

“Igor has been struggling with a thigh problem; he played through the pain against Strasbourg, and we put him through his paces. Since the match, Igor hasn’t been training; he’s undergoing treatment,” explained the 59-year-old manager.

Although rumoured to be close to joining the Black Cats in a transfer worth around €35m, Genesio was keen to clarify that Paixão “is not for sale”, even though he is aware he could lose “one of our best players” just hours before the transfer window closes.

A starter in OM’s 4-0 victory over RC Strasbourg Alsace last weekend, Paixão stood out in particular by providing an assist. It was his eighth since joining Marseille last summer; he has also scored 12 goals in 43 appearances across all competitions.

GFFN | Léo Aschi