Leeds miscalculated a little with the transfer of Augustin.

You have probably heard that Leipzig sells players well. The team has had a positive buy/sell balance for the last three seasons. Deotchankyl Upamecano, Ibrahim Konate, Marcel Zabitzer, Timo Werner, and other players managed to sell for much more than they bought. Another player who earned the German club - Jean-Kevin Augustin. True, his story differs from the others, but first things first.

The 2019/2020 season has been a special one for Leeds. The team took first place in the Championship and, after 16 years, finally returned to the Premier League. Midway through that season, the team needed a new striker because Edward Nketia's loan spell from Arsenal ended in January. They rented another striker in the winter transfer window - the same Augustin. The Frenchman could not play, having spent only 48 minutes in England in three matches. And then the most interesting began.

According to the agreement, Leeds was obliged to buy the striker if the team made it to the Premier League by June 30, 2022. It so happened that the season due to the coronavirus had to be stopped in March and played out in the summer. As a result, Leeds only guaranteed themselves access to the Premier League on July 17 - two rounds before the end.

The club's management discovered that the player was not in demand by the coach, and the team did not need him. Leeds waived their obligation to repurchase Augustin after the loan. The club referred to the fact that the mandatory buyout clause was in force by June 30, 2020, and it was impossible to reach the Premier League by this date.

"Leipzig" considered that "Leeds" behaved incorrectly and turned to FIFA. They sided with the German team and, in the summer of 2021, announced that the English club was obliged to pay € 21 million to transfer a football player. Soon, the clubs agreed that the amount would be slightly less - € 17.6 million. Leipzig made minor concessions to receive compensation for the player quickly.

The problems of Leeds did not end there - the football player also had complaints against the club. Augustin was left without a team in the summer of 2020 and was forced to conduct all pre-season training independently. The footballer only joined Nantes as a free agent in October, although Transfermarkt valued him at € 6 million.

Augustin, like Leipzig, turned to FIFA, but his request was considered much longer. Only in April 2023, the decision was made. Leeds ordered to pay striker € 28 million! That is the entire salary for the player for five years of the contract. It was planned that the Frenchman would receive about € 90 thousand per week. Now Augustin stands for Basel, where salaries are an order of magnitude lower.

Leeds has signaled they will appeal FIFA's decision, but it has already hit the club's sporting director, Victor Horta. It was reported that he, and not coach Marcelo Bielsa, initiated the striker's transfer. And in general, the attitude towards the manager has developed a contradictory one. Not only could transfers seem impulsive (although there were some successful ones), but Horta himself did. Suffice it to recall how he got into a fight in the stands after the Leeds-Brentford match.

There has been talk of Horta leaving Leeds for a long time. This was more associated with the position of the club in the standings. Now the team is in 17th place and is not in the relegation zone only because of the goal difference. The other day, the Spanish coach Javi Gracia was fired, who was brought just by his compatriot Horta.

As reported by The Athletic on Monday, the sports director and the club owners found themselves on opposite sides. According to the English edition, the board decided to fire Gracia and hire Sam Allardyce, the last person Horta could turn to. Against the background of compensation for Augustin and a place on the table, the sports director is leaving the team.

It has been one of the most costly mistakes in the history of English football. What about Augustin? Jean-Kevin became much more prosperous in 48 minutes at Leeds and is hardly worried: at least he plays at Nantes - he has 5 + 1 in 22 meetings in all competitions.

03.05.2023