Leeds forced to pay up for 'most expensive player in football history' as appeal withdrawn

Leeds United’s appeal against the £24.5million compensation awarded to former striker Jean-Kevin Augustin has been withdrawn from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

FIFA ruled in March 2023 that Leeds would be required to pay the fee to Augustin after a judgment the Championship side were in breach of contract after his transfer was aborted in 2020. The Whites have already footed up a £15m settlement to RB Leipzig after that part of the dispute was resolved in December 2022.

A statement from CAS given to The Athletic read: “The appeal in the arbitration CAS 2023/A/9616 Leeds United v Jean-Kevin Augustin, against the decision issued on 30 March 2023 by FIFA Football Tribunal Dispute Resolution Chamber (FPSD-6567), was withdrawn.”

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has declared Augustin to be the most expensive player in football history in terms of cost per appearance. That sees the Yorkshire side set to pay £13,715 per second for the forward.

Augustin joined Leeds on loan from RB Leipzig in January 2020 while the side were in the Championship. Within the deal was a clause that would see the deal become permanent for £18m should Leeds be promoted.

Under the tutelage of Marcelo Bielsa, United earned their way into the Premier League in a season disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, but Augustin earned few minutes on the pitch. The striker featured for just 48 minutes as Leeds won promotion as champions.

The 2020 title-winners then however, pulled out of the deal to sign Augustin permanently, suggesting that the delay to the end of the season meant the clause had elapsed. That saw the Bundesliga side file a successful complaint to FIFA, which was then upheld by CAS when appealed by Leeds.

Jean-Kevin Augustin was rarely seen during his time at Leeds

That was not the end of the matter as Augustin also filed a claim for compensation to FIFA. Documents show that the forward had negotiated a five-year contract worth £93,000-a-week and a signing on fee of £2.5m.

The striker was left as a free agent with RB Leipzig and Leeds both denying claim to Augustin’s registration. That saw him sign for Nantes in October 2020.

The former PSG foward has since joined FC Basel. The move has seen limited success with the Paris-born footballer recording eight goals in 43 appearance

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