Chelsea's brief and unsuccessful association with Facundo Buonanotte has been terminated, with the Argentine attacking midfielder securing an immediate loan switch to Premier League rivals Leeds United.
A Short-Lived Chelsea Stint
The 21-year-old will spend the remainder of the season at Elland Road after his parent club, Brighton & Hove Albion, agreed to cut short his season-long loan at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea had paid a £2 million loan fee to secure his services last summer, but the move failed to yield any significant return.
Buonanotte managed just eight appearances in total for Chelsea, with only one of those coming in the Premier League back in September. His final outing in a blue shirt came last weekend in the 5-1 FA Cup third-round victory over Charlton Athletic, which was also new manager Liam Rosenior's first match in charge.
Medical Imminent Ahead of Potential Debut
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Buonanotte is scheduled to undergo a medical imminently. If all proceeds smoothly, he could be in contention to make his Leeds debut as soon as this Saturday against Fulham.
The decision to move comes after the player found opportunities severely limited under Rosenior. He was an unused substitute during Chelsea's 3-2 Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg defeat to Arsenal on Wednesday night, a match where Rosenior's decision to introduce Alejandro Garnacho from the bench proved inspired.
Rosenior's Focus on Chelsea's Future
Speaking after the Arsenal match, Rosenior emphasised his desire to build a team in his image. "I am not asking for time because we are good enough to win now but I need to put my stamp on the team otherwise there is no point me being here," he stated.
The manager also provided a positive injury update, confirming he expects both Cole Palmer and Reece James to be available for Saturday's league fixture against Brentford. He revealed that Liam Delap and Jamie Gittens missed the Arsenal clash due to a virus, with both suffering from dangerously high temperatures.
With Buonanotte's departure confirmed, Chelsea and Rosenior can now focus on refining a squad that showed fighting spirit against Arsenal, while the Argentine seeks the regular first-team football that eluded him in West London.
