Chelsea closing in on Facundo Buonanotte loan deal as Leeds move collapses

Chelsea are closing in on an agreement over a loan move for Facundo Buonanotte after Leeds United saw their move for the Brighton & Hove Albion attacking midfielder collapse.

Leeds had a flight booked for Thursday afternoon to bring Buonanotte to West Yorkshire, but he never boarded.

Brighton had been in talks with Leeds for a loan move that kept the Argentina international in the Premier League, which would secure him homegrown status from January. The top-flight newcomers were confident a deal was in place with club and player, with a medical booked for Buonanotte’s arrival.

However, it is the Club World Cup champions who now seem poised to sign Buonanotte, who registered six goals and three assists in 35 games on loan at Leicester City last season.

Chelsea have been seeking an attacking midfielder and were interested in a move for RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons, who has now agreed a move to Tottenham Hotspur. Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez had been another target for Chelsea, who are expecting Christopher Nkunku to join AC Milan.

The Buonanotte move would represent the latest in a long line of deals between Chelsea and Brighton. Joao Pedro moved in the same direction earlier this summer, while Moises Caicedo, Robert Sanchez and Marc Cucurella have made the same move in the past. Graham Potter and other backroom staff members switched between dugouts in September 2022.

Julio Enciso is another Brighton player who is in talks about a move to Chelsea’s sister club, Strasbourg — the Ligue 1 side also owned by BlueCo — which could see him also end up at Stamford Bridge in the future.

The 11th-hour collapse of Leeds’ deal leaves them short of options as the transfer deadline approaches. Daniel Farke has made no secret of his desire to see attacking reinforcements before Monday at 7pm BST.

Bilal El Khannouss, Dilane Bakwa, Eduard Spertsyan and Manor Solomon are all players Leeds are known to have an interest in.

(Photo: Michael Regan/Getty Images)