Leeds United pursuit of Jean-Kevin Augustin could end in legal dispute

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By Phil Spencer

Published Jul 31, 2020

Marcelo Bielsa's side are obliged to sign the RB Leipzig man

It's going to be a whirlwind six weeks for Leeds United.

The Whites ended their 16-year exile from the top flight by securing promotion in emphatic fashion last term.

Marcelo Bielsa's side were runaway leaders in the Sky Bet Championship after holding a 10-point lead on second place West Brom.

While Leeds were dominant in the second tier, they'd be naive to assume that they won't need to strengthen this summer.

Plenty of new players are being linked with a move to Elland Road, with four or five new additions being plotted.

However it's the future of a familiar face which could turn into the summer's main transfer saga.

Jean-Kevin Augustin didn't exactly set the world alight when he arrived at the club in January.

The RB Leipzig striker was limited to just three cameo appearances since making the move, with fitness being a major issue.

Despite arriving on loan, reports have confirmed that Leeds are obliged to sign the player on a permanent deal for £18million.

Now a Premier League side, Leeds are reluctant to sign the mis-firing striker permanently - something which, according to Phil Hay, could lead to a legal dispute.

Writing for The Athletic, Hay said: "They are still on the hook for Jean-Kevin Augustin, the French forward signed on loan from RB Leipzig in January.

"Augustin was due to sign permanently for around £18 million if Leeds won promotion but a combination of injuries and the player’s attitude put off Bielsa.

"That deal looks increasingly likely to end in a legal dispute as Leipzig push for the money they were promised and Leeds attempt to wriggle out of a transfer they no longer want to complete."

GIVEMESPORT'S Phil Spencer says...

This is far from an ideal situation for Leeds United.

After making just three cameo appearances in an underwhelming loan spell at Elland Road, it's no surprise that they're not keen to sign him permanently.

That said, they may not have a choice.

If Marcelo Bielsa's side did in fact agree to a mandatory deal to sign the 23-year-old then they don't really have a leg to stand on in trying to get out of the deal.

As far as I can see, that means that a legal battle is not likely to go well.

There's no chance that Jean-Kevin Augustin has a future at Elland Road, which means that the player could have a big decision to make as well.

Why would he want to move to Leeds United knowing that he's not going to be in Bielsa's plans?

Money is the obvious answer, but you'd hope that if the player had any ambition he'd be looking to find a club that can help him to create his best form moving forward.