Why Chelsea players pulled new signing Facundo Buonanotte to one side after friendly match

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Facundo Buonanotte caused quite the stir after one behind-closed-doors friendly at Chelsea during the international break.

Buonanotte is an Argentina international, but he was not called up for his nation’s latest round of fixtures. It gave him time to adapt to his new surroundings at Cobham.

Chelsea signed the attacking midfielder on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion at the end of the last transfer window.

Many Blues supporters were underwhelmed by his arrival, but it looks like he could bring something to their side this season. Buonanotte revealed that Enzo Fernandez was key in his move to west London just before the international break.

• READ MORE: Chelsea fans are all asking the same question after Facundo Buonanotte’s Champions League snub

Chelsea players congratulated Facundo Buonanotte after hat-trick in friendly

Both Buonanotte and Fernandez were part of a group of players that stayed at Cobham during the recent round of international fixtures.

With most of the senior squad away, a behind-closed-doors friendly was played, where Buonanotte absolutely shone.

According to The Athletic, Buonanotte scored three times, impressing his teammates in the process. In fact, they were so impressed that they had to pull him to one side to congratulate him, the same outlet claims.

The 20-year-old could now prove to be a useful player for Enzo Maresca, especially with Cole Palmer carrying a little bit of a knock recently.

Maresca confirmed that Palmer could be back for Chelsea’s game against Brentford. But if not, Buonanotte is an option to play in the No.10 role.

What Enzo Maresca has said about Facundo Buonanotte

While some Chelsea fans may have felt a bit underwhelmed by the signing of Buonanotte, he is a welcome addition to the squad for Maresca.

When the Chelsea head coach was asked about the Brighton loanee, he told The Athletic: “He is a good player. I know him because he was in Leicester and I was there (before), so I have some contact there. He’s a player who can help us. We have so many competitions, so many games, that for sure he’s going to play games for us.”

Before Buonanotte’s arrival, Chelsea completed the signing of Alejandro Garnacho from their Premier League rivals Manchester United. Right now, they have a lot of attacking options, although they are slightly light up front following Liam Delap’s hamstring injury.