Brighton & Hove Albion have announced that Facundo Buonanotte has extended his contract with the club and joined Leicester City on a season-long loan deal.
The 19-year-old has put pen to paper on a new one-year contract extension that keeps him tied to the Amex Stadium until the summer of 2028.
However, Buonanotte will spend the 2024-25 campaign on loan at Leicester, who are back in the Premier League after winning the Championship title last season.
The versatile attacker joined Brighton from Rosario Central in January 2023 and enjoyed a breakthrough season with the club last season, chipping in with four goals in 24 starts and 12 substitute outings across all competitions.
Nevertheless, with competition for places rife in Fabian Hurzeler's first team, the decision has been made to send Buonanotte out on loan to gain regular first-team experience.
"Facundo had a good breakthrough year last season and now he has an excellent opportunity to play regularly in the Premier League," Brighton's technical director David Weir told the club's official website.
Facundo the Fox 🇦🇷 🦊 pic.twitter.com/M5bT0GsKnO
— Leicester City (@LCFC) August 10, 2024
Buonanotte thrilled to join "incredible and important club"
"This new contract is a reflection of the season Facundo had and that we see his long-term future being here.
"Pathway development manager Gordon Greer and his team will monitor Facundo closely and we wish him the best of luck for the season."
Buonanotte is now excited to continue his development at Leicester, who are now managed by Steve Cooper.
"I'm very happy to be here at this incredible and important club," Buonanotte told Leicester's official website.
"I hope to show my best for the group and that we achieve great things. I spoke a lot with the manager, and he filled me with confidence - it was an easy decision for me to come here.
"It's a big opportunity for me and for this reason I had no doubts about coming. I'm here to help the club to finish as high as possible in the league."
Buonanotte becomes Leicester's fifth signing of the summer transfer window after Abdul Fatawu, Caleb Okoli, Bobby De Cordova-Reid and Michael Golding, and he could make his debut for the Foxes when they play host to Tottenham Hotspur in their opening Premier League game of the new season on August 19.
Oliver Thomas
