‘He Travels To Leeds’ – Whites Close On Capture | OneFootball

Michael Regan/Getty Images

Leeds United have secured an agreement with Brighton for the services of attacker Facundo Buonanotte on a loan deal and ‘he travels to Leeds’ to complete the move today.

The 21-year-old joined the Seagulls in January 2023 and enjoyed a loan stint at Premier League side Leicester City, before moving to Chelsea on a season-long loan from Brighton earlier this season.

Leeds were heavily in for Buonanotte during the summer, but the player picked Chelsea, a move which has backfired.

He made his Blues debut in September in a 2–2 home draw against Brentford and went on to make a total of eight appearances, registering one goal and two assists during his time at Stamford Bridge.

Buonanotte has also made appearances in Chelsea’s Champions League campaign, starting two fixtures, including playing the full 90 minutes at home when Chelsea dismantled Ajax 5–1 in October.

On Saturday, he registered an assist in the FA Cup clash with Charlton Athletic, a match that ended in a 5-1 triumph for the Londoners.

Now though he is Leeds bound, with the Whites having reached an agreement to take him on loan and his deal at Chelsea being terminated.

Journalist Nizaar Kinsella wrote on X: “Chelsea agreed the loan cancellation was in the best interest of the player with Brighton and he travels to Leeds to complete the move today.”

Daniel Farke and his squad enjoyed a remarkable turnaround in December, going unbeaten throughout the month and climbing out of the relegation zone into 16th place, creating an eight-point cushion from the drop.

Already capped twice for Argentina, Buonanotte is expected to be a key addition to the Whites as they aim to sustain their form and push further up the table.

Leeds are in the process of loaning Jack Harrison out to Fiorentina, though there are salary issues to overcome, and that will create space for Buonanotte in the ranks.

Buonanotte has long been on Leeds’ radar and the club were linked with holding talks to sign him in the 2023 summer transfer window.

He will have to fight for game time at Elland Road, which may not be simple given the form of the likes of Noah Okafor and Brenden Aaronson.

Aaronson especially has won big plaudits for his performances in recent weeks, being dubbed a ‘proper manager’s player’ in the process.