Sinisterra the 'pearl' of Feyenoord, compared to Diaz and on verge of Leeds move

The Colombian forward is on the verge of swapping Feyenoord for Leeds United after agreeing personal terms with the Whites.

The two clubs are now in advanced talks over what would be a club-record fee for the Dutch side.

The winger had a dramatic rise over the 2021/22 campaign, and he impressed in both the league and Europe.

In total, Sinisterra made 49 appearances in all competitions and provided 37 goal contributions to catch Leeds' eye.

The 23-year-old was born in Colombia and progressed rapidly through the youth ranks and joined Once Caldas in 2016.

He spent three years with Caldas before Feyenoord came knocking and paid under £2million for his signature.

In truth, he struggled in the Netherlands for a few years, and it was only in the last campaign that he came alive.

To be fair to Sinisterra, it can't have been easy moving to a new country and learning a new language while also adapting to a different league.

His progress was then stopped by a serious knee injury in early 2020 before the Covid pandemic hit.

So it has taken Sinisterra quite a while to make an impact, but it was definitely worth the wait.

He can play on the left or the right and uses his explosive pace to drive at defenders and create openings by either cutting in or getting to the byline.

Such were his performances last year that he was named the UEFA Europa Conference League Young Player of the Year and attracted interest from Arsenal.

The Gunners appear to have decided to look elsewhere, but they clearly saw something they liked about Sinisterra.

He has been compared to fellow countryman and Liverpool star Luis Diaz because of his similar ability on the ball.

He spoke about the comparisons: "We are players who like to have the ball, we score goals. I have a good relationship with him, we congratulate each other, I am very happy for him."

In that same interview, Snisterra also revealed his clear ambition: "Having clear dreams has been very important for how I am doing now… I am not satisfied with that; I want more."

It appears as if Sinisterra will be Raphinha's replacement at Elland Road, with the Brazilian holding out for a move to Barcelona.

And though those would be big shoes to fill, Sinisterra has proven that he isn't afraid of pressure or making big moves.

He may only be 23, but after his initial struggles with Feyenoord, he has become a special player who could set the Premier League on fire.

Certainly, Feyenoord assistant manager John de Wolf is a big fan.

He told Dutch media last season: "A very pleasant person, a cheerful boy with exceptional qualities.

"I sometimes see him without a shirt. Then I think: 'I don't want to run into that'

"He can make something out of nothing. He has been involved in more than half of the goals in 100 games for Feyenoord. He is a pearl and can become much more dominant."

Sinisterra appears to have all the physical and technical attributes to be perfect for English football.

Certainly, given his great form and rapid rise over the last year, Leeds appear to be signing a player who is heading straight for the very top.

The silky winger will excite fans at Elland Road and could become someone other top-flight teams quickly begin to fear.