Leeds are staking their Premier League future on £41million duo Tyler Adams and Luis Sinisterra being able to replace Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha.
Adams has arrived in England for his medical before completing his £19.6million switch to Leeds from RB Leipzig to fill the large hole left in midfield by Phillips’ departure for Manchester City. Leeds are also in advanced talks with Feyenoord for Sinisterra and see the Colombian winger as the successor to Raphinha, who is set to leave with Chelsea and Barcelona battling to sign him.
Leeds have agreed personal terms with Sinisterra and will pay around £21.4million plus add-ons for the South American. Adams and Sinisterra, who are both 23, have the potential to succeed in the Premier League and Leeds need their transfers to work.
Leeds only survived on the final day last season and are suffering the blow of losing their two best players in Phillips and Raphinha. Raphinha has been their stand-out performer in the Premier League, scoring 17 goals and making 12 assists, and Chelsea are willing to meet Leeds’ £60million asking price, while the Brazil star is holding out for Barcelona. Phillips has been a regular for England over the last two years and sealed his £45million move to City on Monday. Leeds will be tipped to struggle again without Phillips and Raphinha and the pressure will be on Adams and Sinisterra to show the team can cope with their departures.
Jesse Marsch has no doubts about Adams and first spotted his talent at 15 when he was at the New York Red Bulls academy and he was head coach of the MLS outfit. Marsch handed the USA midfielder his debut at 16 and his first MLS appearance at 17 before going on to work with him again at Leipzig. Leeds director of football Victor Orta has been watching Adams for some time and earmarked him as Phillips’ replacement when he realised the Whites would lose their homegrown star.
HAVE YOUR SAY! How will Leeds cope without Phillips and Raphinha? Let us know in the comments section
Orta agreed a £19.6million fee once Phillips left and Leipzig boss Domenico Tedesco confirmed Adams’ departure to Leeds, saying: “He said goodbye to the team on Monday. The topic is finished.” Sinisterra also arrives at Elland Road with an impressive CV and he top scored for Feyenoord last season with 23 goals, including 11 in the Dutch side’s run to the Europa Conference League final. He scored 12 goals and contributed seven assists in the Eredivisie as Feyenoord finished third.
Leeds want to wrap up the transfers before they head to Australia next week on their pre-season tour and their signings will not complete their summer business. They still want a striker to take some of the goalscoring burden from Patrick Bamford’s shoulders, but are set to miss out on Bruges’ Charles De Ketelaere to AC Milan. Milan have made an opening offer of £17million for De Ketelaere and have the advantage over Leeds in that they can offer him Champions League football.
