As if the threat of Premier League relegation wasn’t enough for Leeds United right now, the club have been handed a further £40million headache to boot.
On Sunday, Javi Gracia’s side were hammered 5-1 by Crystal Palace to leave their survival hopes hanging by a thread, with the club lying two points clear of the drop zone. And it won’t get any easier with Liverpool next up at Elland Road on Monday, while they still have to go to Manchester City before the season is out.
But as well as their current form, the club’s transfer policy is also firmly in the spotlight. That’s after they were ordered to pay former player Jean-Kevin Augustin - who played just 48 minutes under Marcelo Bielsa - a huge £24.5million after being found to have breached his contract.
And that’s in addition to previously agreeing a £15.5 million settlement with his former club Red Bull Leipzig. Leeds signed the striker on loan in January 2020, just two months before eat Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the fixture schedule, with an obligation to make the transfer permanent fo £18 million if they won promotion to the Premier League.
They duly went up as champions, but Augustin made just three substitute appearances before injury curtailed his season. His loan spell technically expires on June 30, and with Leeds not promoted until July 17 due to Covid delays, the club argued they were no longer liable for the transfer fee.
But a FIFA hearing ruled against them, and an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) last November was also rejected. The two clubs eventually negotiated a £15.5 million settlement, only for the Basel man to then launch his own case.
And now a report in the Daily Mail has explained that FIFA have sided with the 25-year-old, who cited the five year contract and £80,000 a week wages he would have received at Leeds had his move been made official. It means Chairman Andrea Radrizzani needing to fork out another £24.5million at a time when the financial perils of potential top flight relegation will undoubtedly be prompting concern.
The club are now understood to again be appealing to CAS. But in a released statement, a spokesperson remained tight lipped on the matter. “The club cannot comment on an ongoing legal matter,” they said.
Augustin began his career at Paris St Germain, winning the Ligue 1 title with the club in 2015/16. His move to Leeds was initially viewed as a significant capture for the Yorkshire club, with the forward voicing his desire to work under Bielsa as a crucial factor in him coming to England.
