On Friday, it was confirmed that Bournemouth had agreed to sign Luis Sinisterra permanently from Leeds United, having initially acquired the Colombian on loan. It’s been reported that the Cherries will pay Leeds around £20m for the signing, ensuring that Daniel Farke’s side haven’t made a loss.
When Sinisterra moved to the Vitality Stadium last summer, Jaidon Anthony went the other way in another temporary switch. Now that the former is committed to Bournemouth, Leeds fans may naturally have been wondering about what it means for the latter.
Anthony won’t be joining Leeds despite Sinisterra transfer
Well, Tom Crocker, a journalist for the Bournemouth Echo, has bluntly dashed the hopes of any Leeds fans who thought the move could trigger a permanent deal for Anthony.
He’s clarified that Sinisterra’s exit will have no impact on the Englishman, whose loan deal doesn’t include an option to buy. As it stands, he’s due to return to the south coast for pre-season when we come to July.
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Anthony has made 24 appearances for Leeds since the effective swap deal, but Farke has only named him in the starting line-up for two league games. The German has much preferred to use him in the capacity of substitute, bringing him on a whopping 19 times, at least three more than anybody else in the squad (as you can see in the table below).
Rank | Leeds United player | Substituted on |
|---|---|---|
1 | Jaidon Anthony | 19 |
2 | Patrick Bamford | 16 |
3 | Wilfried Gnonto | 14 |
4 | Ilia Gruev | 9 |
5 | Liam Cooper | 7 |
Leeds’ FA Cup run has given Anthony a platform to shine, with Farke starting him all three matches so far. He scored in the 1-1 draw at Plymouth at Elland Road, one of the most emotional moments of the season following the loss of his mother, and helped Leeds win the replay 4-1.
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However, he’s unlikely to be satisfied with being a cup player who only figures deep into the second half of Championship matches, particularly having dropped down from the top-flight. He may not have a satisfactory future at Bournemouth either – he’s already had to make way for Sinisterra once – but a loan or a permanent move to a club where he can play a greater role would appear to make the most sense.
Indeed, it’s telling that Farke had to confirm that Anthony would see out his loan move when asked at the end of December – such is his lack of game-time that some have wondered whether Bournemouth would look to bring him back early.
The likelihood is that his spell in West Yorkshire will prove to be a brief one regardless, but if he can contribute to a successful Premier League promotion push between now and the end of the season, then it will be remembered fondly by the fanbase nonetheless.
