Andoni Iraola shares ‘better player’ prediction on Jaidon Anthony after Leeds United loan move

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola believes Jaidon Anthony will return to the Cherries a “better player” after his loan with Leeds United.

The winger has joined the Whites on a season-long loan deal, with Luis Sinisterra moving the other way, as per the official Leeds website (1 September).

Anthony already has four Bournemouth appearances to his name in the new season, three of which came in the Premier League.

“You tell him to do this, he will do it or he will try to do it,” Iraola told the Daily Echo. “He will make mistakes, like everyone else, but he is a very reliable player.

“He had to take the decision knowing the players he will be fighting for in his position. The option he had also I think was really good, to a very good team.

“He decided to take that route. It’s a loan, so I hope he comes back with us, for sure he will, like a better player.”

Great addition

Leeds lost an important player in Sinisterra, who has joined the long list of players leaving Elland Road on loan for the new season.

The winger follows the likes of Marc Roca, Max Wober, Robin Koch, Brenden Aaronson and fellow winger Jack Harrison in making a temporary exit.

Fans may be expecting the player back next summer, but their main focus in terms of this deal will now be on Anthony and what he can bring to the Championship club.

The attacker boasts plenty of Premier League and Championship experience from his time with the Cherries, with Leeds manager Daniel Farke set to rely heavily on that experience in the coming months.

The Whites need excitement in the final third, and their new loanee really should provide that, having proven himself in the top-flight with a handful of goals and assists. His minutes on the pitch this season meanwhile should help him immediately hit the ground running at Elland Road.

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Asked how much of a say he had in the shock Sinisterra and Anthony swap deal, Iraola told the Daily Echo: “It is a situation that happened on the last day of the window.

“The club thought that we could be stronger adding a player like Luis Sinisterra.

“He was on Saturday (at Brentford) watching the game. Now he is going with the national team, so we will not have him for the next 10 to 12 days.

“But it is another player we have who can make the difference, starting from wide. It is a good addition for us.”

Farke: We tried everything to keep Sinisterra, but happy to have Anthony at Leeds

Quizzed on if he supported the idea of Anthony going to Leeds, Iraola added: “It is a decision he had to make.

“I tried to help him as much as I could, because Jaidon, I love him as a person and as a player.

“Of the four games he has been with me, he has started three. He was very good in pre-season.

“But he had to take the decision, because we have a lot of options there out wide.

“It is the decision he finally took and I hope the best, because he deserves it.

“I know he is going to play very well there in Leeds and I hope he returns next season even better as a player.”

Anthony was with Cherries’ squad in the team hotel, getting ready to face Brentford in the Premier League the following day, before his sudden departure.

Detailing his conversations with the 23-year-old, Iraola said: “I tried to be as honest as I could, because he deserves it.

“I had no problem if he was to stay here, no problem at all.

“And you can see because he has played with me, he has started. He is a reliable player.

“You tell him to do this, he will do it or he will try to do it. He will make mistakes, like everyone else, but he is a very reliable player.

“He had to take the decision knowing the players he will be fighting for in his position.

“The option he had also I think was really good, to a very good team.

“He decided to take that route. It’s a loan, so I hope he comes back with us, for sure he will, like a better player.

“As a person, he is a top, top guy. I think he deserved all the honesty, as much as I could.

“I tried to help him, but he was the one with the final decision.”