Chelsea complete signing of Facundo Buonanotte from Brighton and Hove Albion on season-long loan

Buonanotte had been close to sealing a temporary switch to newly-promoted Leeds United, but the Blues have swept in to hijack a deal which will see them pay a £2 million (€2.3m/$2.7m) loan fee for the 20-year-old, according to the BBC. Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez was also linked with a move to Chelsea as Enzo Maresca's side looked to strengthen in the middle of the park before the summer transfer window closed at 19:00 BST for Premier League clubs.

Buonanotte, who has two caps for Argentina, becomes Chelsea’s latest new arrival following the earlier signings of Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens, Jorrel Hato and Alejandro Garnacho, while Estevao, Dario Essugo, Mamadou Sarr and Kendry Paez all joined following pre-existing agreements.

Speaking to Chelsea's official club website, Buonanotte - who spent the 2024-25 campaign on loan at Leicester City - said: "I’m very happy to join Chelsea. It’s a great opportunity for me and I’m just looking to add as much to the squad as possible, help the team and help the staff."

Buonanotte's move to Stamford Bridge is the latest in a series of deals between Chelsea and Brighton, with Pedro, Marc Cucurella, Moises Caicedo and Robert Sanchez having all moved to west London from the Seagulls in recent years. Graham Potter also left Brighton to become Chelsea manager in September 2022, lasting just seven months in the role before being sacked.

Buonanotte will be hoping to help Chelsea maintain their unbeaten start to the 2025-26 Premier League season when they travel to Brentford on September 13. Maresca's men have beaten West Ham United and Fulham and drawn with Crystal Palace in their opening three league games.