Brighton and Hove Albion attacker Facundo Buonanotte is set to leave on a season loan to newly-promoted Leicester.
Buonanotte, 19, made 27 appearances for the Albion last term with three goals and one assist. He was a regular for previous boss Roberto De Zerbi but perhaps played more than expected due to injuries to key players such as Solly March, Julio Enciso and Kaoru Mitoma.
With those players returning – plus the summer additions of Yankuba Minteh, Ibrahim Osman and Amario Cozier-Duberry – Buonanotte would likely struggle for game time at the Amex Stadium this term.
Buonanotte had been linked with loan moves to Southampton, Feyenoord and Celtic but it appears Leicester have won the race for the Argentina playmaker with a loan deal, without an option to buy.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano posted: “Leicester City agree deal to sign Facundo Buonanotte on loan from Brighton. Despite reports of Feyenoord, #LCFC were working in background and got the deal done with Brighton. It will be loan with NO buy option clause, as @TomCollomosse reports.”
It’s perhaps a surprise that Brighton would agree to strengthen a Premier League rival but the two clubs had been in discussions earlier this window as Poland international midfielder Jakub Moder almost joined the Foxes as part of Albion’s attempt to sign Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – who in the end went to Chelsea.
A number of Albion’s fringe players could be on the move in the coming weeks as the club make decisions on the likes of Jeremy Sarmiento, Carl Rushworth, Imari Samuels, Odel Offiah, Moder, Mo Dahoud, Yasin Ayari, Jensen Weir, Mark O’Mahony and Deniz Undav. Undav is expected to complete a move to Stuttgart for around £25m later this week.
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