FC Basel forward Jean-Kévin Augustin will get a boost in his bank account in the near future. The 25-year-old Frenchman has won a dispute with former employer Leeds United. FIFA has decided that the striker can expect tens of millions of euros from the Premier League club.
New blow Leeds: tens of millions for ‘worst signing ever’
At first it seemed like a dream transfer. In the hunt for promotion to the Premier League, Leeds decided to loan Augustin from RB Leipzig in the winter of 2020. The agreement stipulated a mandatory option to buy, as soon as the club would be promoted. No less than 21 million euros had to be paid for the French talent, provided the Championship was defied.
That worked, because Leeds were promoted a few months later. Augustin, however, made anything but an impression and the club was not interested in a longer stay for the attacker. It was unexpectedly announced that the striker would be sent back to the Bundesliga. To the horror of Leipzig and Augustin himself. Both parties claimed to have written in the deal that the attacker should be taken over.
A legal battle ensued. Leipzig decided to litigate and got the case before the CAS after two seasons. That went down the wrong way at Leeds and the English immediately announced that they would appeal in advance. Yet that message fell on deaf ears. The CAS already decided in November that the transfer fee of 21 million euros should be transferred to Germany. After a settlement with Leipzig, the club eventually paid around eighteen million euros.
Augustin denied a £90,000 a week contract
Augustin himself also decided to call in help from FIFA. After all, the attacker had signed a lucrative contract, but lost a lot of British pounds in his wallet due to Leeds’ reckless action. Instead of the Premier League contract, Augustin went to work at the French Nantes a little later. Augustin saw a five-year contract, worth £90,000 a week, ripped apart.
Although Augustin only played three games for Leeds, his employment now appears to have been very expensive. The Frenchman has been proven right in court in his case against his former employer. That means that Leeds will have to make the cut again. The Athletic now reports that Leeds must pay no less than 27.9 million euros to Augustin. Much to the dissatisfaction of Leeds, which has lodged an appeal. President Andrea Radrizzani expressed his dissatisfaction two months ago. He recently announced via Twitter that Augustin was his biggest bad buy ever. Although he deleted that message a few moments later.
The headache file cannot be used by Leeds at this time. The club is under pressure in the battle for survival. After the humiliating 1-5 defeat at home against competitor Crystal Palace, the gap with the red stripe is only two points. Relegation will cost a lot of money, while the recovery work on the selection also needs a deep wallet. And so the club can still use Augustin’s 27.9 million euros.
