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Matty Hewitt

Jaap Stam's bold Luis Sinisterra decision that paved way for Leeds United switch

Leeds United new boy Luis Sinisterra may have never reached the heights he has so far in his career were it not for a bold move from Jaap Stam. Dordrecht general manager Hans de Zeeuw claims that his side came close to signing Luis Sinisterra as part of their cooperation agreement with Feyenoord.

The Dutch second-tier side liked what they saw from Sinisterra in a pre-season friendly but Feyenoord boss Stam wanted to keep the winger a the club after also being impressed. The decision by the former Manchester United defender has paved the way for his move to Elland Road this summer after an impressive campaign in the Netherlands.

Sinisterra was part of the Feyenoord side that went all the way to the Europa Conference League final last season, losing 1-0 to Jose Mourinho's AS Roma. The Whites hierarchy were impressed by the Colombian's performances and wasted no time in snapping up the winger.

READ MORE: New Raphinha bid puts Barcelona in driving seat as Leeds United transfer saga nears conclusion

However, all that could have been different had the Colombian signed for Dordrecht back in 2019. De Zeeuw told Dutch outlet Voetbal Primeur: “We had a cooperation agreement with Feyenoord. The intention was that three players would come to Dordrecht per season.

“We thought it was a great idea and really liked it. When we played a friendly against Feyenoord it was not quite finished yet.”

“We wanted him to join quickly, but we were told that Jaap Stam saw something in him and I wanted to keep him with the first team. I fully understood that, but I was really disappointed. If a coach gives you the good feeling, no player will say ‘no’ to Feyenoord.”

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