Facundo Buonanotte is Leeds United’s lone addition so far in the January transfer window.
Leeds have recently had their bid for Wolves talisman Jorgen Strand Larsen rejected, as it is evident the 49ers want to continue to add more firepower to Daniel Farke’s squad for the backend of the campaign.
Whilst Buonanotte has yet to make his debut for Leeds United, supporters are excited at the prospect of the Argentinian adding some much-needed creativity to this Leeds side, with that being something the Whites have lacked at times, particularly earlier in the season.
One former Leeds manager in particular is looking forward to seeing Buonanotte in action for United, comparing him to another winger who was phenomenal during his stint in West Yorkshire.
Simon Grayson compares Facundo Buonanotte to Leeds United’s promotion hero
Speaking on Leeds United’s official YouTube channel following the Whites’ 1-0 win over Fulham, both Simon Grayson and Michael Bridges spoke about Buonanotte and what he could potentially offer to Farke’s squad.
“Buonanotte gives us something different dynamically in that midfield, something else for us to think about, and I think it’s a really, really good acquisition,” said Bridges.
Grayson agreed with the former Leeds forward, but went one step further in his assessment of Buonanotte by comparing him to Manor Solomon.
“I’d liken him to probably Manor Solomon: low centre of gravity, can go past people, find a pass, shoot from distance, and if he can manage to replicate that sort of form that Manor Solomon did last year, then he’s going to be a big player.
“Again, depending on how fit he is going to be, how quickly he is going to get started.”
49ers were wise to avoid signing Manor Solomon permanently in the summer
Throughout the summer transfer window, Leeds were understandably linked with signing the winger who brought them so much success during his loan spell on a permanent basis.
Last season for Leeds during their Championship title-winning campaign, Solomon was excellent, scoring 10 goals and providing a further 12 assists in his 39 league appearances for United.
However, so far this season, he has struggled.
The 26-year-old’s loan spell in Spain with Villarreal was cut short after Solomon was unable to establish himself in their starting XI, before being loaned out again in January, but this time to Fiorentina.
Manor Solomon – 2025/26 Season Stats by Club
| Club / League | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fiorentina (Serie A) | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Villarreal (La Liga) | 6 | 1 | 1 |
With the bond that developed between Solomon and the Leeds fans during his loan spell, signing him would’ve been the easy thing for the 49ers to do, but instead, they stood firm.
Now, only time will tell whether they made the right decision in identifying Buonanotte as someone who could bolster Leeds’ attack.
