Diego Buonanotte: Dazzling Argentine ‘Dwarf’ Chased by Everton, Sunderland & West Ham

A number of Premier League clubs are reportedly tracking the mercurial Argentine playmaker Diego Buonanotte in regards to a January move but may face competition from around Europe for the diminutive starlet. At just 5 ft 2, the South American star may be small in stature but he is regarded as a very big talent.

Buonanotte currently plies his trade for River Plate in his homeland and alongside former team-mate Radamel Falcao (now at Porto) was expected to move to Europe last summer. The player is nicknamed ‘El Enano’ which translates at ‘the Dwarf’ which is unsurprising given his size but despite his physique, the attacking player’s talent has shone through including at last summer’s Toulon Tournament.

The 21-year-old can play as an attacking midfielder, on either wing or up front and has shown an eye for goal. Buonanotte finished top scorer in Toulon after scoring 4 goals as Argentina finished 3rd. He scored against Eqypt, France and a goal in each of his games against Holland. He was also named Player of the Tournament which will only drew more attention to his talents.

The offensive star was born in Teodelina in the Santa Fe Province and came through the River Plate ranks making his debut as a 17-year-old as a replacement for current Real Madrid star Gonzalo Higuain. He scored his first senior goal in his following appearance but it was the 2007/08 season when Buonanotte established himself a real star. That season he scored an impressive 11 goals in 25 league appearances (21 starts). Under the guidance of River Plate’s Technical Director and legendary figure Daniel Passarella he was given the confidence he needed to believe in his quality. He soon became a fan’s favourite after a dazzling display against hated rivals Boca Juniors as well as two goals against Olimpio that secured the 2008 Clausura (closing) Championship.

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However, River Plate endured a poor campaign last season and Buonanotte’s form suffered as a result scoring just 3 goals in 30 league appearances (26 starts). This season, the creative star has been back to his best with 6 goals in 14 league appearances (13 starts). His combined record is 20 goals in 70 league appearances for the club (60 starts). He has yet to win a full international cap for Argentina but has represented them at every youth level as well as the 2008 Beijing Olympics where they won gold.

Buonanotte is a well known fan of another similar star in the shape of Ariel Ortega who he played alongside in 2007/08. He is renowned for his work-rate, dribbling ability and deadball skills and would be an excellent signing for a number of clubs who need to add a player with the Argentine’s impish trickery.

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has had the player watched according to the Argentine press but the likes of West Ham, Everton and Sunderland have also been named. He would provide that spark of creativity through the middle or on the flanks that the Black Cats strikers would thrive on while it’s of no surprise that fellow diminutive creative star Gianfranco Zola is an admirer. The versatility that Buonanotte possesses could prove to be an excellent addition to an Everton squad that possesses both power and strength but has lacked the attacking guile of Mikel Arteta since his injury.

A move for the little Argentine to unlock the well organised teams of the Premier League could well prove to be a fruitful one if any of these clubs can capture him. However, Spanish and Italian sides are also tracking the star and the less physical nature of their respective leagues may well suit the player’s talents more than the less technical athletic nature of England. Inter, Lazio, Sevilla and Benfica are known admirers of the little man with a big talent.

Would you like your club to move for the Argentine or at 5 ft 2 would he seriously struggle to make an impact in our league? Let’s hear your views.

Tags: Diego Buonanotte, Everton, River Plate, Sunderland, West Ham

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 14:29 and is filed under Blog, Home Blogs, Transfer News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.