Leeds United are now reportedly making a fresh offer to sign the international star, with transfer talks continuing as the deadline approaches.
Falke tells Buonanotte to “earn your place”
Facundo Buonanotte’s arrival may have been a long time coming, but that doesn’t mean his place in Leeds’ strongest team is guaranteed. Los Blancos have been in great form in the last two months since switching to a 3-5-2 formation and are in a position to welcome an addition like the Argentine creator this month.
But like the rest of Daniel Farke’s dressing room, Buonanotte will need to ‘earn his place’ in the second half of the campaign as Leeds look to secure survival with surprising comfort.
The German told reporters during preparations for Monday’s match against Everton: “Facundo is a very young and very talented player, otherwise he would not have earned a cap in the Argentina national team. He is a very skilled player and has a special creativity that is very rare at the top level.
“There are a lot of reasons why we wanted him, because he has some skills that we were a little bit lacking. But you’re tempted not to praise him too much because you’d think he’s already Lionel Messi.
“There are also challenges in his game where he has to be there. He hasn’t played much football in recent months.
Leeds are also eyeing a move for the former Chelsea star this month, along with Strand Larsen.
49ers mean business.
“I’m not going to roll out the red carpet for a new contract. It’s up to him to make it happen. It’s not going to be an easy path[to the starting lineup]. He has a difficult position and he has to rise to the challenge, earn his place and show his ability to shine.”
Considering the recent reports regarding Jorgen Strand Larsen, there is a good chance that the attacking midfielder is not the final name.
Leeds make improved offer to sign Strand Larsen
After making an initial offer worth around £39 million, the 49ers are back to square one and have now restarted talks. According to the Daily Mail, Leeds are currently in active negotiations to sign Strand Larsen and have not given up on the Norwegian forward.
Wolverhampton Wanderers reportedly value the striker at £40m, with Leeds almost making an initial offer. This is a club-record move for Los Blancos and will pair Dominic Calvert-Lewin with another impressive goalscorer.
Leeds United’s most expensive contract in history | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
rank | player | commission | signatory | year |
1 | George Rutter | £35.5 million | hoffenheim | 2023 |
2 | brenden aaronson | £28.5 million | RB Salzburg | 2022 |
3 | rodrigo | £26 million | valencia | 2020 |
4 | and james | £25m | manchester united | 2018 |
5 | Luis Sinisterra | £21m | feyenoord | 2022 |
Strand Larsen, who was described as “excellent” by Premier League legend Alan Shearer last season, could be off the wrecking ball this month and return to his best form in the process.
The Norway international scored 14 goals in all competitions last season but has since struggled to find the back of the net for Wolves, who are just starting to improve.
