Leeds United’s dispute with RB Leipzig over striker Jean-Kevin Augustin is not likely to be dealt with by FIFA until March.
That’s according to RB Live, who provide an update on the transfer dispute and where it currently stands.
Augustin spent the second half of last season on loan with Leeds, joining them in the January transfer window as Marcelo Bielsa looked to add extra firepower to his side to fire them out of the Championship.
His move turned out to be a disastrous one, though, with him managing just 48 minutes in total at Elland Road.
The loan deal, though, included a mandatory purchase option for Leeds, who had agreed to pay €21m for the striker should they secure promotion.
They achieved the latter but have since refused to pay Leipzig their money, arguing that the clause expires as a result of the season stopping due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Germans have had none of that and despite Augustin moving to Nantes, have continued to chase the money they believe they are owed via FIFA.
The last we heard on the case was from BILD at the beginning of the month, with them stating that the case was being investigated but unlikely to be dealt with until the summer.
RB Live update that today, stating that the ‘mills of the FIFA jurisdiction grind slowly’ and the case is not expected to ‘take off’ before March/April.
That means it remains ‘unclear’ whether Leipzig will get their €21m and whether they can plan with it, despite arguing that Leeds are the ones ‘holding the transfer rights’ to the player.
Bielsa and co ‘see it differently’ and, even if FIFA rules against them, the striker returning to the club is ‘inconceivable’. They would instead try to loan or sell Augustin to get their money back.
It appears that won’t be an issue for them to deal with for some time, though, with FIFA’s slow processes, which are presumably being slowed down further by COVID-19, meaning their case won’t be seen for some time.
