Italian club linked with €25m Leeds United transfer face significant challenge in alleged pursuit

The Colombian international has impressed during his time at Leeds but has found himself in the treatment room more often than he would have liked since sealing a £21 million transfer from Feyenoord last summer.

At 24 years old, Sinisterra is a member of the squad who represents significant sell-on value, owing mainly to his goalscoring ability, despite how infrequently he featured in the Premier League last term.

Following the completion of 49ers Enterprises’ takeover, the Leeds hierarchy will definitively assess which players can be used to generate revenue ahead of a season in the Championship.

UEFA Champions League semi-finalists Milan have been linked with a move for the Leeds winger, according to TuttoMercatoWeb.

Their report makes unconfirmed claims that Milan’s transfer chiefs have enquired about the Colombian’s availability this summer.

However, a pursuit of the seven-cap international is not as straightforward as it may first appear.

Player registration rules in Italy could hamper Milan’s attempts to sign the South American attacker as the Serie A side are only permitted to add two non-EU players to their squad this summer.

Complex restrictions on non-EU players were brought in by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) in a bid to promote younger domestic-based and Italian-trained players.

Currently, two of Milan's non-EU slots are occupied by Devis Vasquez and Junior Messias, although Italian reports suggest goalkeeper Vasquez is expected to be sold, while Brazilian forward Messias could also leave.

Milan’s other non-EU slots are filled by Englishman Fikayo Tomori, Bosnian international Rade Krunic and Serbian teenager Marko Lazetic, none of whom are anticipated to depart San Siro anytime soon.

Even if all five non-EU players were to leave this summer, Milan would still be restricted to registering just two new non-EU signings from abroad.

Typically, Italian clubs are restricted to three non-EU players in their squads, however the allowance can be increased if clubs make non-EU signings from fellow Italian teams.

Milan have also been heavily linked with Japanese international Daichi Kamada, currently playing with Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany, as well as Samu Chukwueze, a Nigerian forward with Villarreal. Both would take up the non-EU slot vacated by either Vasquez or Messias, should they be sold to a foreign club, therefore leaving little room for manoeuvre to also sign Sinisterra, because Kamada and Chukwueze would need to be signed from abroad.

The San Siro club are also reportedly close to an agreement for Chelsea’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek, another non-EU player, as well as Fenerbahce youngster Arda Guler, further complicating their supposed interest in the Leeds winger.

Given Leeds are in receipt of parachute payments to the tune of £45 million this coming season, following relegation from the Premier League, in addition to the vast number of saleable assets within the squad, the club are not in a position where players will be allowed to move cheaply.

Sinisterra remains contracted at Elland Road until June 2027 and is expected to report back for pre-season testing and training on Monday, July 3.