Leeds United: Carlton Palmer issues verdict on last-gasp Luis Sinisterra exit
Carlton Palmer believes Leeds United will be extremely disappointed by Luis Sinisterra’s “late” Elland Road exit after he joined Bournemouth on transfer deadline day.
Sinisterra joined Bournemouth on Friday [1 September] on a season-long loan with the option to buy, with Cherries forward Jaidon Anthony heading the opposite way.
After months of speculation, it looked as though Leeds had done enough to keep the Colombia international at Elland Road until Bournemouth struck a deal close to the deadline.
And BBC pundit Palmer, speaking exclusively to Football League World (4 September) believes the Colombian’s exit “was a blow” for the club but can be encouraged by some “very good” business to bring in Anthony.
He said: “It was a blow for Leeds United to lose Sinisterra to AFC Bournemouth, on the last day of the transfer window.
“It was so late, and they’ll be very, very disappointed.
“When they (Bournemouth) got promoted in the 2021/22 season, he made 45 appearances in the Championship, scoring eight goals and providing eight assists.
“Anthony is a very good replacement, at this level.”
Excellent response
Leeds wanted to keep hold of Sinisterra and made their stance clear, as they successfully did regarding the future of Wilfried Gnonto.
A relegation clause in the player’s contract expired earlier in the summer, yet he still managed to depart Elland Road on an initial loan in a last-gasp transfer business.
As The Athletic’s Phil Hay pointed out on Saturday [2 September], Leeds did not want to get embroiled in a legal dispute and therefore allowed him to leave, which will have certainly been a disappointing site for the Elland Road bosses and the fanbase.
However, the club managed to pull off a coup that meant Sinisterra certainly won’t be missed at Elland Road as much as the fanbase thought they would with Anthony moving the other way.
The 23-year-old winger is just as gifted and talented as Sinisterra and is a shoo-in to make an immediate impact at Elland Road, given his recent success in the Championship the season before last as he formed a crucial component in Scott Parker’s promotion success at the Vitality Stadium during the 2021/22 campaign.
Anthony scored eight goals and provided six assists and also aided the Cherries’ quest to secure Premier League survival last season, under Gary O’Neil featuring across 30 top-flight games, so the 23-year-old is certainly well-equipped to thrive under Farke’s tutelage fairly quickly.
An excellent response to the Sinisterra disappointment.
In other Leeds United news, the Whites wanted to complete a last-gasp midfield transfer had Joe Gelhardt left to join a Championship rival.