Leeds United to appeal as cost of Jean-Kevin Augustin transfer that never was rises to £40m

Augustin was left without a club when both Leeds and RB Leipzig decided they did not want him and were not obliged to pay him.

If the Whites' appeal over the decision by FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber fails it will take the cost of the 2020 deal to £40m before legal fees, despite Leeds calling off the move.

They signed the striker on an initial loan in January 2020 but crucially it contained a clause which made the deal permanent at a cost of £18m if the club won promotion to the Premier League that season. The fee equalled the then-club record when Rio Ferdinand joined from West Ham United in 2000.

But coach Marcelo Bielsa was unconvinced by Augustin's physical ability to operate as he wanted, and he played just 48 minutes plus stoppage time, all before English football was shut down by the pandemic. He did not score for them.

The Covid pandemic delayed the end of the season and turned the matter into a legal dispute over semantics. Leeds argued the clause expired at the end of June, by which time they had not been promoted, Leipzig that it had been extended until the delayed end of the campaign, when they were.

Augustin was sent back to his parent club at the end of June, despite the season running until July 22.

CAS sided with Leipzig, ordering Leeds to pay the £18m after an unsuccessful appeal, but they reached a £15.5m "amicable resolution" with the German club in December.

This latest claim is by the player himself.

Left with no one to play for, the now-25-year-old was declared a free agent by FIFA and jointed Nantes in October 2020. In June he moved to Basel.

Augustin was reported to be on a five-year, £79,000-a-week contract at Leeds, and the claim is for breach of contract.

FIFA partially ruled in his favour.

Leeds are not commenting on the matter but are believed to be preparing an appeal which will see them go back to the specialist sports court in Switzerland.

Georginio Rutter is now Leeds's record signing after joining from Hoffenheim in January for a fee which could reach £35m.