Facundo Buonanotte is reportedly set to cut short his Chelsea loan and return to Brighton before joining Leeds United.
The 21-year-old midfielder was originally meant to join Leeds over the summer, but Chelsea stepped in at the last minute, with the Blues bringing him in on loan from Brighton.
It was a move that raised eyebrows even before he had played a game. Buonanotte was initially left out of their Champions League squad, only getting added later due to an injury elsewhere in the team.
He has since made nine appearances across all competitions, including his first start under Liam Rosenior against Charlton, where he provided an assist in a 5-1 win. Despite that positive moment, playing time has been hard to come by overall.
Now it looks like he is preparing to call time on his Stamford Bridge stay and finally make the move up north that may have served him better from the outset.
Liam Rosenior addresses Facundo Buonanotte’s potential move from Chelsea
Buonanotte has shown glimpses of his quality during spells at Leicester and Brighton. While there is potential for him to fit into the Chelsea set-up in the future, he is still in need of regular minutes to further his development.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Buonanotte is expected to join Leeds on loan for the remainder of the season, where he should have a better shot at consistent playing time. Liam Rosenior spoke about the situation during Friday’s press conference.
“Firstly, Facundo was magnificent against Charlton. Really good performance. The minutes aren’t what he wants; we’re looking at a solution for him,” the 41-year-old manager said.
Rosenior added: “I’m in constant conversation with the sporting director about potential transfers, but I want to assess this group because you get surprises. If we find a way to improve the team, we will look at it.”
Facundo Buonanotte falls short of Carlos Tevez’s high praise at Chelsea
It is unfortunate to see Buonanotte move on, but in truth, the loan spell at Chelsea never really felt like the right fit for him. Perhaps a strong showing at Leeds in the back half of 2025-26 could put him back on their radar.
The talent is certainly there. Carlos Tevez once compared Buonanotte to Lionel Messi, saying: “When he brakes and accelerates, he reminds me of (Lionel) Messi. He is at a very high level.”
For now, though, the Argentine is heading to Daniel Farke’s Leeds side, where he will join a squad featuring Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Brenden Aaronson.
Chelsea are set to face Brentford this Saturday, and Rosenior has suggested that Reece James and Cole Palmer could be available for selection. However, Liam Delap and Jamie Gittens are still sidelined due to illness.
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