Leeds United have been ordered to pay former player Jean-Kevin Augustin a fee of £24.5 million in compensation after they were found to have breached his contract.
The 25-year-old French forward joined Leeds from RB Leipzig in January 2020 on a loan deal until the end of the season, with an obligation to buy for £18 million if they achieved promotion to the Premier League that season.
The Whites achieved that feat on July 17, 2020 after the season was delayed by COVID-19 but Leeds argued they should not have had to pay the transfer fee because Augustin's loan expired on June 30.
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FIFA confirmed in December 2020 that Leipzig had officially filed a claim against Leeds over the aborted transfer and in December last year, the English side lost their appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
United reached a £15.5 million settlement with RB Leipzig following the dispute.
The case was deemed closed following an ‘amicable resolution’, although Leeds were said to be “surprised and disappointed” after losing the appeal against FIFA's ruling.
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But several months later and the Elland Road club have been told they owe more money after Augustin took his case against Leeds to FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber.
The Athletic report that FIFA found partially in his favour, meaning they have been ordered to pay £24.5 million, which may represent payment in full to the player for a five-year contract on a reported €90,000 [£78,000] a-week.
Leeds are said to have appealed against the decision, while a Leeds spokesperson said: "The club cannot comment on an ongoing legal matter."
Augustin, who is now contracted to Swiss side Basel, played just 48 minutes of football for Leeds after making three substitute appearances under Marcelo Bielsa, and failed to score in any of those games.
Former Leeds forward Jermaine Beckford went on to make the following claims after the French forward's loan ended in 2020.
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“I also heard from multiple sources that during training he wasn’t giving everything. He wasn’t really trying," he told the Doing A Leeds podcast.
“He wasn’t taking on any new information, and he wasn’t listening to where he was supposed to be or doing the extra work that needed to be done. He was just kind of just going through the motions almost.”
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Leeds United, Premier League, Transfers