Leeds United fans were caught off guard when reports emerged that a deal had been agreed with Facundo Buonanotte. Most of the fanbase were unsure there would be any transfer activity this month.
The Argentine was one of their main summer targets, and after a round of talks with Brighton, everything was set for a loan deal. But in the final moments, he chose a loan move to Chelsea. With the London club, he did not get as much playing time as he wished as he was limited to just eight appearances in the first half of the season.
Graham Smyth reveals what Facundo Buonanotte and Leeds United discussed
Per reports, it was Buonanotte who pushed for the move to Leeds United. He backs himself to succeed under Daniel Farke, and will play many first team minutes in the second half of the season. Graham Smyth has revealed that the player and the club were in contact as far back as December over a move:
“So around Christmas time, Leeds started to discuss internally the idea of revisiting this one (deal for Buonanotte).” he said on the Inside Elland Road podcast.
“I think they decided quite early, yes, we can stomach what happened in the summer as long as we deal with it with the player.
“Daniel Farke was quite happy to give him another chance, club hierarchy was in a very forgiving mood, so talks began.
“The very first conversation that was had, they dealt with what happened in the summer and got it out of the way.”
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Midfielder will be a fantastic addition
Buonanotte had a very hard time fitting in at Chelsea; he barely got any playing time but he made the most out of it. He clearly backs himself to succeed at Leeds United, and his recent history shows that he can deliver.
| Competition | Games Played | Minutes | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | 31 | 1,529 | 5 | 2 |
| FA Cup | 2 | 90 | 1 | 1 |
| EFL Cup | 2 | 97 | 0 | 0 |
The previous campaign saw him play for Leicester City; and even though the Foxes were one of the worst teams in the league, he managed to be a standout player. Managing to get six goals and three assists in all competitions for such a bad team is a good sign. Maybe at Leeds, with a better set of teammates and a good coach, he could be even better.
