Buonanotte has had spells on loan at Leicester, Chelsea and Leeds in the past two seasons. Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty ImagesAug. 7, 2026 4:45 pm EDT Updated Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Facundo Buonanotte has joined La Liga club Elche on a season-long loan deal.The 21-year-old, who has played twice for Argentina at international level, has spent the entirety of the past two campaigns away from the south-cost club on loan deal.Buonanotte, who joined Brighton from Rosario Central in January 2023, scored five goals across 50 appearances for Brighton in the 18 months after he joined, but spent the 2024-25 campaign on loan at Leicrster City and then last campaign on loan at Chelsea and then Leeds United.The versatile attacking midfielder scored six goals in his season at Leicester but was unable to help the club from being relegated from the Premier League that term, and made just eight appearances for Chelsea and then four at Leeds.
Brighton sporting director Mike Cave said: “Facundo is a talented young player who has continued to develop since joining the club. This loan gives him the opportunity to play regular football in one of Europe’s top leagues.“We believe this move will provide an excellent environment for him to gain further experience, and we’ll continue to monitor his progress closely throughout the season.”Brighton have added six players to Fabian Hurzeler’s squad ahead of the upcoming season, with defensive quartet Costinha, Pascal Struijk, Michael Svoboda and Luka Vuskovic joined by wide forwards Rodrigo Rego and Zadok Yohanna.
