Chelsea are set to beat rival Premier League clubs to the signing of Facundo Buonanotte on a season-long loan from Brighton.
The 20-year-old Argentina international is expected to complete a move that will not include either an option or an obligation to buy.
Leeds United were also interested, while Borussia Dortmund and Lyon made approaches, but Brighton were determined to loan him only to an English club.
Buonanotte would become the latest figure to swap the south coast for Stamford Bridge since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital’s 2022 takeover.
He will link up again with former Brighton players Marc Cucurella, Robert Sanchez, Moises Caicedo and Joao Pedro, while Chelsea have also hired several members of staff, including former boss Graham Potter and recruitment specialists Sam Jewell and Paul Winstanley.
The Blues have spent more than £287m on players and staff from Brighton, prompting Seagulls chief executive Paul Barber to joke at a fans’ forum that Chelsea are the club’s “best customers.”
Chelsea’s interest in Buonanotte follows a failed attempt by their sister club Strasbourg to sign Julio Enciso, with that move reportedly on the verge of collapse after the Paraguay international suffered an injury.
Since arriving from Rosario Central in 2023, Buonanotte has made 50 appearances for Brighton, scoring five goals.
He also enjoyed a productive loan spell at Leicester City last season, registering six goals in 35 matches. Comfortable on the right wing or in the No.10 role, he would become Chelsea’s ninth signing of the summer transfer window.