Udinese have officially confirmed the signing of new full-back Leonardo Buta who joins them from Sporting Braga. The 20-year-old came through the Braga youth academy and made just a handful of first-team appearances before making the switch to Udine this summer.
A statement on the clubs official website confirmed the move:
Udinese have made Leonardo Buta the club’s third signing ahead of the 2022/23 season. The player joins from Braga on a contract that runs until 30 June 2027.
The left winger is blessed with a real burst of place and is well suited to playing as a wing-back or a full-back in a defensive quartet due to his combination of athletic and technical attributes.
Buta is a player with potential both in the present and looking ahead to the future, having joined the club on the day of his 20th birthday.
Born on 5 June 2002 in Agueda in Portugal, Buta started out at the Benfica youth ranks where he remained until 2015 before moving to Anadia and subsequently Palmeiras in Portugal, where his displays caught the eye of
Braga at the age of 16.Leonardo went up through the ranks from U17 to U19 and then U23 level at Braga, scoring five goals in 27 appearances. He was then moved up into the B team in the third tier in Portugal, where he played 15 times.
In summer 2021, Buta made the step up to the first time, with his debut coming on 12 February against Pacos Ferreira. The left-sided player went on to make five appearances in total before the end of the campaign.
Leonardo has five Portugal U17 caps, ten with the U18s and one with the U20 side, which came against France on 27 March.
