Leeds United targeted a number of creative players to make a difference to their attack this summer, the 49ers missed out on particular profiles for Daniel Farke.
Previously, Graham Smyth explained ambitious ‘reach’ signings were a crucial part of the strategy for Leeds United this summer, but they failed to land the likes of Igor Paixao and Facundo Buonanotte.
Paixao chose Marseille over Leeds; meanwhile, Buonanotte was loaned to Chelsea instead of Leeds just days before the deadline. That left Leeds scrambling, following a failed move to get Harry Wilson on deadline day.
Farke still hoping for 2 more signings before Monday night. Didn’t comment when asked about Buonanotte.
“There’s always hope.” when asked about additions before window closes. #LUFC— Adam Pope (@apopey) August 30, 2025
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In the end, Leeds came up short in attack. Per BBC Sport’s Adam Pope, Daniel Farke believes survival will be difficult without “one or two” more attackers.
Graham Smyth questions ‘naive’ recruitment at Leeds United
Speaking via The Inside Elland Road Podcast, Graham Smyth explained his thoughts on Buonanotte and Paixao, with many criticising the Leeds hierarchy for a naive approach in the latter stages of the window.
He said: “They acknowledge that it was deflating that they didn’t get the last bit. There’s a little bit of, ‘well, what could we do about Chelsea coming in for Buonanotte? I mean, in isolation, I’m not seeking to defend anybody here, but why on earth has Buonanotte gone to Chelsea?
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“I mean, he’s already just just a day or so in. This kind of, oh, at least he’ll be able to play in the Champions League stuff has been shown to be complete nonsense. They haven’t included him in the squad. He’s not going to get minutes.
“They signed [Alejandro] Garnacho. They’ve got loads of attackers there. And it’s only a loan. It doesn’t it doesn’t make sense from anyone’s point of view this one to me.
“It doesn’t let Leeds United off the hook at all for what’s going on at the minute. But, in isolation, you just think somebody needed to get in his ear and say, ‘hang on, just hang on a minute. I know you might not want to be in another relegation battle, but you’re going to play a lot of football. You’ll still be a Brighton player.’
“It’s not even like he’s gone, you know, and there’s extra wages or something. He’s a loan. He’ll still be getting his Brighton wage.”
Smyth added: “I think though, whilst we can all agree that Buonanotte has done a silly thing, there is — for me — still an element of Paixao led you up the garden path and then signed for Marseille as he always hoped and intended to do.
“Buonanotte has evidently done the same. Now, perhaps, Chelsea have come in late and he never, you know, that wasn’t his intention.
“He was probably going to move to Leeds but he hasn’t at the end of the day and you haven’t got him. And then Fulham have managed to keep you on the line for [Rodrigo Muniz and Harry Wilson] and wasted quite a lot of the summer and a lot of time.
“When why on earth would they be minded to help you out? Why would they do you a favour? Yeah, I can see why a lot of fans are kind of throwing words like naive around.
“Because there are situations in which Leeds think that they adapted or moved on from situations pretty quickly. The external view is quite different I think from supporters.
“And supporters will kind of use this inexperience tag when it comes to the the people who’ve been running the recruitment department until such a time as the recruitment either speaks for them or speaks against them.”
Photo by Jon Hobley | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesJon Newsome provides potential Facundo Buonanotte reasons
Former Leeds player Jon Newsome outlined a possible Buonanotte explanation. He claims Buonanotte may have chosen Chelsea because his agent may have got more money. Newsome, himself, is an agent.
He said: “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?
“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?
“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.”