It is not entirely surprising that any player nicknamed the dwarf is a bit on the short side. At 1.61m (5ft 3 inches), Buonanotte is a diminutive playmaker who has always had to make up for what he lacks in height with pure ability. It’s over five years now since he made his debut for River Plate, and having finally made the move to Europe, it seems that this could be the Argentine’s time to shine.

In 2008 and 2009, few would have believed it would take so long for ‘el enano’ to make the big move across the Atlantic but in December 2009 Buonanotte was involved in a fatal car crash in which he was the driver. His three friends in the car all died whilst he survived with multiple serious injuries. He took a while to return to football and his absence could even be attributed as a factor in the relegation of his beloved River Plate, due to the nature of the three-year points average system that decides who drops out of the Argentine top flight.

When he returned to the side, it was earlier than predicted and seen as desperation given that the ‘millionarios’ were on a run of five consective defeats – without scoring a goal. Their season improved slightly but he then had little input in the 2010/11 season. River manager JJ Lopez oversaw the demise of the Argentine giants as they lost three vital games at the end of the season to slide into the second tier. He had completely discarded little Diego by the end, preferring to use Mauro Diaz – who hadn’t featured in over eight months – as a substitute, and completely leaving ‘el enano’ out of the squad for the relegation playoffs against Belgrano.

Following agreeing a move to Malaga that would come into effect in June, his relationship with the fans began to deteriorate. Erik Lamela was the new golden boy and sharing a role, every mistake Buonanotte made – whether shooting instead of a pass or vice versa – was met with audible displeasure by the River ‘hinchada’. By the end of the season, many fans were desperate for his return but it was too late, and he watched on from the stands as his team from the age of eleven was relegated:

“I just wanted to help, to play for River, the team I am a fan of… I believed I could save them from relegation”

However Buonanotte is now in new surroundings and the change of scenery could be exactly what he needed. Given his amazing pre-season form with the Andalucian outfit, he looks set to thrive with a fresh start, his natural ability is still there and with an ocean now between him and a tumultuous few years in Argentina, €3m is a price so teeny it’s almost fitting for the dwarf.