The 49ers need to get rid of the Leeds flop who is as useless as Buonanotte

Since being promoted to the Premier League, Leeds United have made a number of additions to try and make the club a consistent force in England’s top flight.

Although many of the additions made by the management have been successful, many players have unfortunately failed to live up to expectations at Elland Road.

The inability of officials to identify the right options has seen the Whites become a yo-yo team in recent seasons – something that would have been unthinkable under Marcelo Bielsa.

However, Daniel Farke is the latest manager to try to establish the club in the division, and the German has seven games to defend his status before 2026/27.

If his players are to spend another season among the country’s stars, every player will need to be in top form – but one member of the first team looks unlikely to play again this season.

The statistics behind Buonanotte’s failure at Leeds

After a run of six games unbeaten before the January transfer window, it was imperative that the Leeds board add players to improve the squad in the second half of the campaign.

As a result, management have completed the signing of attacking midfielder Facundo Buanonotte on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion until the end of the season.

The Argentinian spent the first part of the campaign on loan at Chelsea, but failed to deliver – something that was on display again at Elland Road.

The 21-year-old has made just two league appearances under Farke, but neither came in a starring role – covering just 24 minutes.

His last spell for the Whites came back in February, with Buonanotte playing just 45 minutes for the side’s FA Cup win over Championship side Birmingham City.

The midfielder has now failed to feature in the matchday squad since the recent FA Cup win against Norwich City – even then, he didn’t come off the bench and was an unused substitute.

The star of Leeds is becoming as useless as Buonanotte

As previously mentioned, Leeds’ transfer business often leaves fans wanting more, especially given the lack of impact from the likes of Buonanotte.

The Argentinian, who is only on loan at Yorkshire, will leave at the end of the campaign, with no lost wages, as the deal was temporary.

Barring a relegation, he will be one of many players driven by the club, with any sales allowing managers to conduct business in the summer.

The likes of Illan Meslier, Lucas Perri and Joel Piroe could all easily leave Elland Road at the break, with Farke also not trusting any trio in the Premier League.

However, fan favorite Sam Byram is another to be ruled out, despite playing a key role in the 2024/25 Championship campaign.

The full-back made 36 league appearances under Farke last season, scoring once and providing a solid option at the back.

As a result, the 32-year-old will sign a new one-year contract back in July last year, allowing him to be part of the Whites’ return to the Premier League this season.

However, such a decision was arguably the wrong one, with Farke and the rest of the coaching staff fully eyeing Byram for every competition in 2025/26.

The defender has played just seven minutes in England’s top flight this season, with his last action coming in a 5-0 defeat to Arsenal in August. In fact, his action has been so minimal that he has not scored for the club since 27 November 2024, a 3-0 win over Luton.

He has been overlooked in cup competitions against lower league opposition, which came in a combined seven minutes against Norwich, Birmingham and Derby County.

Byram’s start this season came in the Carabao Cup defeat to Sheffield Wednesday – arguably proving he is not the player Farke needs at Elland Road.

The decision to offer the 32-year-old a new contract last summer now looks like a pointless exercise, almost as pointless as completing the Buonanotte deal.

The defender, who currently earns £20k-a-week, will have earned around £1m before his contract expires – funds that could easily be spent elsewhere.

With his contract expiring at the end of June, it is almost clear that the defender will be released in order to find a challenge for another team that is relegating the title.

However, the management desperately needs to be mindful of such interactions in the summer, with the same mistakes likely to cost them again in the next campaign.

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