Brighton and Hove Albion’s young striker Facundo Buonanotte is slated for a season-long loan spell with newly-promoted Leicester.
The 19-year-old made 27 appearances for Albion last season, notching three goals and a solitary assist. Though a regular in the team under former manager Roberto De Zerbi, Buonanotte saw more playing time than expected due to injuries to key players like Solly March, Julio Enciso, and Kaoru Mitoma. However, with those players back in action and new signings like Yankuba Minteh and Ibrahim Osman in the mix, Buonanotte’s opportunities at the Amex Stadium could be limited this season.
While Buonanotte was linked with loan moves to other clubs like Southampton, Feyenoord, and Celtic, Leicester emerged as the winner in securing the Argentine’s services on loan without an option to buy.
The news came through transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, who confirmed Leicester City’s successful pursuit of Buonanotte in a deal with Brighton. Despite the surprise of strengthening a Premier League competitor, Brighton had engaged in talks with Leicester earlier in the transfer window when midfielder Jakub Moder was almost transferred to the Foxes as part of the negotiations involving Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who eventually joined Chelsea.
Brighton could witness several fringe players departing in the upcoming weeks as decisions are made regarding the likes of Jeremy Sarmiento, Carl Rushworth, Imari Samuels, and others. Notably, Deniz Undav is expected to seal a move to Stuttgart for a reported fee of around £25m.