Leeds United response shared as £24.5m Jean-Kevin Augustin compensation appeal withdrawn – Phil Hay
Leeds United have withdrawn their appeal with CAS against FIFA’s ruling that Jean-Kevin Augustin is owed £24.5m, according to The Athletic.
The Whites pulled out of a permanent deal for the winger after he fell out of favour, but ultimately lost a court case that meant they owed RB Leipzig the full transfer fee when their reason was thrown out.
Augustin then filed a separate claim due to a loss of earnings, with a five-year £93,000 per-week deal agreed between the clubs. FIFA ruled partly in favour of the player, awarding him £24.5m in compensation which Leeds appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
But the CAS have now confirmed that Leeds have withdrawn their appeal and a hearing won’t take place, with Phil Hay sharing on his personal Twitter account (11 April) that the club have declined to comment on the situation and it remains unclear if they must now pay him out in full.
“The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has confirmed to The Athletic that Leeds United have withdrawn their appeal against FIFA’s award of £24.5m in compensation to Jean-Kevin Augustin,” he wrote.
“The club were asked by The Athletic why the appeal had been withdrawn and whether they were facing the original bill of £24.5m. They declined to comment.
“It is not clear whether the withdrawal of the appeal has seen Leeds commit to paying Augustin the full amount awarded to him.”
Leeds United paying for a huge mistake
The club’s past ownership is completely summed up in this deal, and it’s an absolute mess that the 49ers have had to deal with.
The club committed to a permanent transfer and then tried to look for a loophole to get out of it when they realised that he wasn’t the player they thought he was and Marcelo Bielsa wasn’t interested.
Considering the situation the club was in at the time, committing to paying a player that much money for such a long period was absolutely crazy and now the club are paying for it.
The overall package will come to around £40m for a player who played 48 minutes for Leeds before being shipped out, but this is the right decision.
At this point getting the situation over and done with allows the club to plan properly and move on financially, and finally bringing this saga to an end.
In other Leeds news, Bayer Leverkusen want to sign one Elland Road star this summer.
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