Phil Hay moots possible Leeds loanee exit on June 30 after big development
The Athletic journalist Phil Hay has mooted the possibility of Jean-Kevin Augustin leaving Leeds United at the end of June.
Augustin, 22, has massively struggled to get up to fitness since joining Leeds on loan from RB Leipzig in January and it has been widely reported he’s suffered a setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury he sustained before the season was suspended in March.
Marcelo Bielsa has since confirmed that Augustin does not have a new injury but is not available to play against Cardiff this weekend and has been put on an individual training regime.
Former Yorkshire Evening Post reporter Hay maintains that Augustin is unlikely to play again for Leeds this season and has suggested he could be sent back to Leipzig on June 30 as it wouldn’t make financial sense to keep a loanee who isn’t able to play.
“He’s still here in the sense that he’s still in Leeds,” he said on the Phil Hay Show podcast.
“But, on the basis that he’s unlikely to be fit before the end of the season, they need to make a decision on whether or not to have him around the training ground for COVID-19 restrictions as much as anything else. There are limits on who can go there and the way they’ve managed it has been very tight.
“The long and short of it is that he’s struggled to get up to speed with Bielsa and his body has struggled with it.”
Hay added: “His loan, as loans do, will end at the end of June and it will be interesting to see whether or not Leeds will extend that to the end of the season because in a financial sense, if he isn’t available it wouldn’t make a huge amount of sense.”
It is a good point that has been raised but where does that leave Leeds and their obligation to sign Augustin if they win promotion to the Premier League?
Are Leeds going to be stuck with a player who isn’t anywhere near to Bielsa’s high fitness standards?
A full pre-season will no doubt help Augustin get to the level that the Leeds manager wants him to be at but it would be massively annoying if the Whites are forced into splashing the cash on a loanee who’s made just three substitute appearances for the club.
Augustin’s been a bit of a waste of a signing, in hindsight. But Bielsa would not have given the green light towards signing him if he didn’t believe the Frenchman could meet his requirements.
Who knows? Maybe Augustin will sign permanently in the summer and be a massive hit in the Premier League.
In other Leeds United news, two changes are predicted for Leeds’ team against Cardiff.