The difficulty with shopping for a higher calibre of player as a newly-promoted side without being willing to pay over the odds means players will reject your club, as Leeds United found out.
Leeds ended the window with 10 new signings. Eight of which have played for their country and all of whom have played at the top level in one of Europe’s top-five leagues, but Leeds fans wanted more.
Daniel Farke publicly said Leeds needed more or relegation was a real possibility. Leeds tried to sign Harry Wilson from Fulham on deadline day, but Fulham pulled the plug on Wilson’s exit right at the last minute.
Sympathy should be felt for Leeds in that they did all they could to sign Wilson in the moment, but huge questions need to be asked over why Leeds left it so late. It is not the first player Leeds missed out on.
Daniel Farke during Leeds' clash against Newcastle.
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
Why Facundo Buonanotte chose to join Chelsea over Leeds
Igor Paixao, Bilal El Khannouss, Christantus Uche, Nico Gonzalez and even Takufusa Kubo. All are players that Leeds identified as attacking targets this summer, but for one reason or another, Leeds missed out.
Graham Smyth says Real Sociedad’s Kubo never became affordable. Another is Facundo Buonanotte, with Leeds at one stage confident of landing Buonanotte on loan from Brighton, only for him to join Chelsea.
Former Leeds player Jon Newsome told Don’t Go To Bed Just Yet’s deadline-day special that Buonanotte may have chosen Chelsea because his agent may have got more money. Newsome is an agent, himself.
Brighton and Hove Albion attacking midfielder Facundo Buonanotte
Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
“Logistics, does he want to move up to Leeds? Can he still stay with his family in London, wherever he is, the south coast. There’s two ways of thinking about it – are you going to play every week at Chelsea?
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“Very unlikely. Are you going to play every week at Leeds? That is why you would be signed. If you go to Chelsea, if you only play 15 games, does it put two or three years more on your career?” Newsome said.
“It depends on the agent too, if the agent is getting a bigger fee to go to Chelsea, there are agents who would send him to Chelsea because they’d get more money,” the former Leeds defender continued.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca.
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Facundo Buonanotte’s competition at Chelsea compared to Leeds
To many, the issue with Buonanotte choosing Chelsea is that he won’t get game time. A move to Leeds would have seen him instantly become first choice, providing Daniel Farke with much-needed creativity.
Leeds wingers Leeds no.10’s Chelsea wingers Chelsea no.10’s
Willy Gnonto Brenden Aaronson Pedro Neto Cole Palmer
Dan James Estevao Andrey Santos
Jack Harrison Raheem Sterling
Noah Okafor Alejandro Garnacho
Tyrique George
Jamie Gittens
Of course, Leeds could play Joel Piroe or Anton Stach in the 10 role. But, Buonanotte would clearly go above Brenden Aaronson in the list of Leeds’ 10 options, and would certainly not be last choice out wide.
At Chelsea, Buonanotte is unlikely to get game time over Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto, Estevao, and even new signing Alejandro Garnacho. Yes, Chelsea are in Europe, but Buonanotte will be warming the bench.