Who is Luis Sinisterra? The Colombian wing-wizard Leeds are looking to sign

With Leeds resigned to losing Raphinha this summer, attention turns to replacing the Brazilian, or at the very least; easing his departure. Raphinha was directly involved in 14 of Leeds' 42 league goals last season, scoring 11 in the process. Signing the right player to make up for his exit is of the utmost importance. 

Charles De Ketelaere has emerged as a potential target for the Whites, though given his versatility, the Belgian may not be the only player to come in at Elland Road to help replace Raphinha. On the day Kalvin Phillips' move to Manchester City was confirmed, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano is reporting that Leeds are closing in on the signing of Feyenoord winger Luis Sinisterra. 

The 23-year-old enjoyed a whirlwind 2021/22 having finished the Eredivisie campaign with a WhoScored rating of 7.88, that better than any other player in the Dutch top tier. Feyenoord may have struggled last term, ultimately finishing the campaign third, 12 points behind fierce rivals Ajax, but it was a season where Sinisterra really exploded onto the scene. 

The Colombian does have ample first team experience for the Rotterdam side, but having totalled just 2998 minutes of game time in the previous two campaigns, Sinisterra registered 2417 minutes of action for Feyenoord last season, though it is worth noting that the 2019/20 campaign ended prematurely owing to the Coronavirus pandemic. 

Nevertheless, the increase in game time, and with it, responsibility, has seen Sinisterra's stock rise considerably. Arne Slot deserves plenty of credit for turning the young attacker into a star man for Feyenoord, so much so that Sinisterra looks set for his next big career move. 

What immediately springs to mind about Sinisterra is the explosive side to his game. One of his statistically calculated WhoScored strengths is 'dribbling' and it is easy to see why. He completed more dribbles (107) than any other player in the Eredivisie last season, but not only did he top this metric, he was also remarkably consistent when he did get going. 

Of the 69 players to attempt 50 or more dribbles, Sinisterra returned a success rate of 70.4%, that the seventh best in the Eredivisie. Wingers often attempt plenty of dribbles, and do rank highly for dribbles completed, but the success rate can often be low as they struggle to repeatedly get the better of opponents, though not for want of trying.

Sinisterra, however, has no such issues, with the regularity with which he can beat a man adding to his appeal. Whether he is viewed as a direct replacement for Raphinha, though, is another matter entirely. The in-demand Brazil international favours starting from the right before cutting onto his left, with all 11 league goals coming with his left foot. 

Sinisterra does do similar, albeit from the left flank, where he utilises a WhoScored style of play of 'likes to cut inside'. That said, while there is a predictability to Raphinha's game, albeit one that is difficult to stop, Sinisterra is not quite so one-footed as the Leeds man. Rather, just five of his 12 league goals were with his right foot, with six coming with his left. 

His speed on the ball is a crucial side to his attacking gameplan, but it's also hugely effective as an outlet. Sinisterra scored more counter-attacking goals (3) than any other player in the Eredivisie last season, with the youngster able to turn on the afterburners once his side have soaked up pressure and then aim to rapidly transition to attack. 

For a Leeds side that was one of two teams that didn't score a single counter-attacking goal in the Premier League last season, this is an added bonus for the Whites, who can call upon another weapon in the arsenal. Of course, his style of play means opponents go to great measures to deny Sinisterra, with the Feyenoord star fouled an average of 1.6 times per 90 last term, but this doesn't deter the winger, who chipped in with a more than respectable 2.2 key passes per 90 and, crucially, 1.5 tackles per 90. 

As with any modern winger, they need to work hard when out of possession for the good of the team. With the onus on pressing defences high up the pitch to force mistakes and create goalscoring chances, it's another quality to Sinisterra's game. No player won possession in the attacking third more times than Sinisterra (36) in the Eredivisie last season, an impressive feat in a Feyenoord side that did finish second for possession (58.8%) in the Dutch top tier. 

Slot's side saw plenty of the ball, but when their opponents were in possession, they pressed high with Sinisterra an absolute menace to deal with both on and off the ball. A high-octane style will suit Leeds perfectly and it won't be long before Raphinha nothing but a memory with Sinisterra set to ease the former's impending departure.