Report: Leipzig adamant Leeds United must sign Jean-Kevin Augustin on permanent transfer if promoted

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Leeds United will have to pay for Jean-Kevin Augustin this summer if they are promoted, according to a report in Germany. 

The French striker arrived on a loan deal from RB Leipzig in January, cancelling a previous deal at Monaco, to replace Eddie Nketiah as Patrick Bamford’s main attacking partner. 

However, Augustin arrived out of condition and soon suffered a hamstring injury which has severely limited his playing time.

Earlier this week, Leeds decided they would not apply for his loan deal to be prolonged for the remainder of the extended Championship season. 

Regarding a potential permanent move, Leeds are now said to not be interested. That is according to Kicker, but it may not be that simple. 

His parent club Leipzig are said to be adamant that an agreement on a permanent transfer, contingent on Leeds winning promotion to the Premier League, is legally binding despite the global health crisis. 

Therefore, the German side expect to be paid the fee agreed should Leeds win promotion. That fee was reported as £17.7 million by Bild earlier this season. 

If Leeds decide to argue that case, the report claims Leipzig will involve lawyers to secure their money. 

It looks like it could be a messy future ahead for Augustin. Leeds, according to this report, do not want him but may find themselves obliged to pay big. At that point, the Whites would either have to try their best to get him up to Marcelo Bielsa’s standards, or consider moving him on themselves. 

One thing that does appear clear is that Augustin and Leeds United’s story is not finished yet.