Leeds United and Red Bull Leipzig continue to be at odds regarding the situation with Jean-Kevin Augustin. Leeds United don’t want him; Red Bull Leipzig want the money for him. Now German source Kicker report two warnings for the stalling Whites.
Leeds United were genuinely expectant that French striker Jean-Kevin Augustin would be the January loan signing that would have a huge impact on their charge to the Premier League. They had stepped in with a January offer which included a purchase obligation actionable upon Leeds United’s promotion to the Premier League.
Long before last Friday’s defeat for West Bromwich Albion at Huddersfield saw the Whites promoted, Leeds United had already decided that Augustin wasn’t the man for them. He’d managed just 48 minutes of action over three substitute appearances before injury struck in the form of a hamstring injury.
Leeds didn’t extend Augustin’s loan and sent him back to Germany. It was obvious that they do not want him; neither does Red Bull Leipzig. Kicker report that as far as the German side’s sporting director, Markus Krosche, is concerned “Leeds has risen, so the purchase obligation comes into effect.”
The difference of opinion between Leeds and Leipzig centres around two dates: June 30 and July 17. Leeds sent Augustin back and their argument is that the cancellation of the loan on June 30 means that the purchase obligation doesn’t apply seeing as Leeds weren’t promoted until July 17.
That argument holds no water with Red Bull’s Krosche who warns: “When the contractual agreements were negotiated in January, everyone involved was in full possession of their intellectual powers. I assume that things will now go according to plan.”
Leeds’ argument about their contractual obligations and the two dates are on shaky ground and this is backed up the view of a Professor of Law in Germany, Philipp S. Fischinger. He says: “If I had to bet, I would bet that Leipzig would win a lawsuit [which] assumes that German law applies – or Swiss law, which is gladly chosen for transfer matters. ”
Those two warnings, from Red Bull Leipzig’s Markus Krosche and Professor Fischinger, should be enough to have Leeds United taking very careful stock of their position in the sorry saga of Jean-Kevin Augustin.
