Speaking on his podcast, Phil Hay has shared an update on Leeds’ Jean-Kevin Augustin case and when their appeal will be heard.
In case you had forgotten, this dispute relates to a loan deal Leeds agreed that had included obligation to buy the French striker if the Whites were promoted in 2020.
However, the loan deal had an expiry date which, due to the season being halted by lockdown, had passed by the time Leeds’ promotion was confirmed, so the Whites’ argument was that they didn’t owe Leipzig the cash due to the season’s date’s shifting.
Understandably, Leipzig see the situation rather differently and have chased the Yorkshire club for the €21m (£19m) fee they feel they are owed.
It was reported last year that Leipzig had won the case, but Leeds do have the right to appeal, and Hay says that the case is due to be heard by The Court of Arbitration for Sport next month.
What’s been said about Augustin?
Amid the January transfer window, Hay and his co-hosts got to speaking about the Augustin case.
“That (the Augustin case) is due in front of CAS isn’t it? The Court of Arbitration for Sport, which, essentially, is the final hurdle to clear before we get any final ruling on this,” Hay’s co-host said.
“It is yes, that may well start coming up next month I think, but certainly I think it will be at some point early this year that we start making some progress on that front,” Hay said.
About time
Almost two years on from Leeds’ promotion, it’s about time that this all got cleared up.
Leeds, if they lose, could be liable to pay €21m (£18m), so this is a big deal that could have huge knock-on effects at Elland Road in terms of the summer transfer window.
This certainly seems to be a situation to keep an eye on, and it now sounds as though we could have answers in the coming months.
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