, Leeds United always doomed to suffer after desperate Augustin decision

Leeds United always doomed to suffer after desperate Augustin decision

It was a warm welcome that Jean-Kevin Augustin received when he signed on from Red Bull Leipzig via AS Monaco. His highlight reel from YouTube and the £23million-or-so eventual deal was proof of that. However, it really hasn’t worked out for Big Kev at Elland Road. Manuel Veth, writing for Forbes, hints that this was always going to be the case.

Red Bull Leipzig bought the talented Augustin from Paris Saint-Germain, paying £14.4million to snap him up. He signed with a five-year contract and was seen somewhat as the future of the German club. However, it all went sour.

Veth alludes to this and fills in some of the details wen commenting on how he fell by the wayside in Germany. On this he writes:

the now 23-year-old never fulfilled the high expectations set in him by Leipzig. In 67 games for the Bundesliga side, the forward scored 20 goals and eight assists. Off the field there were also problems, Augustin, it appeared, never completely fitted in with the corporate culture set by the club.”

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At the end of their tether, apparently, Veth said that Leipzig readied themselves “to move Augustin” during last summer’s window. AS Monaco agreed a loan deal, paying €4m/£3.6m to land him. The truth was, it seems, that Augustin failed to impress at the French glamour club – scoring one goal and providing two assists for the Ligue 1 club.

Veth then adds that an agreement between all sides, Leipzig, Monaco and Augustin, was going to see the agreement ended. Veth continues by adding that “the market was not dead” for the striker and Leeds’ interest. That Leeds interest was interest born out of a sense of desperation.

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The Whites needed a striker; they had just failed to land their first-choice target Che Adams from Southampton. A deal was struck that would see Leeds pay an upfront loan fee of £3.6million and an £18million fee obligation if they gained promotion to the Premier League. That looks ever more likely now and it will be a big price to pay.

Effectively, Leeds United will be punished for their desperation in wanting to sign anyone and settling on Jean-Kevin Augustin after Southampton boss Ralf Hassenhutl put his foot down about Adams leaving.

What’s more, is that they brought in a somewhat flawed striker. He hadn’t been able to slot in at Leipzig in the manner they wanted. He didn’t manage to cut it at AS Monaco. Now he’s somehow ‘three-peating’ that pattern at Leeds United.

For their haste, Leeds United could suffer a near-£23million punishment.

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