Jean-Kevin Augustin only played three games for Leeds United (Picture: Getty)
Former Leeds United striker Jean-Kevin Augustin has become the most expensive player in football history in terms of cost per appearance.
That has been confirmed after Leeds’ appeal against an award of £24.5m in compensation was withdrawn from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Augustin ended up costing Leeds £13,715 per second between his wages and transfer fee, despite making just three appearances for the club.
The Frenchman joined Leeds on loan from German side RB Leipzig in January 2020 until the end of the season while they were playing in the Championship.
It was first thought Leeds had the option to buy Augustin for £17.7m – but they decided against it – which saw him leave at the end of his loan deal having only played 48 minutes of football.
Leipzig, though, argued that Leeds had an obligation, rather than an option, to permanently sign Augustin due to a clause in his contract.
The Bundesliga side believed the clause was triggered when Leeds were promoted to the Premier League at the end of the 2019-20 campaign.
Why did Leeds refuse to pay RB Leipzig?
RB Leipzig felt the transfer should’ve been done under ‘spirit of the rules’ (Picture: Getty)
Leeds felt they had not triggered the clause as they were not promoted until July 17, with fixtures in English football’s second-tier pushed back due to Covid-19.
The clause allegedly stated that the buy option would only transform into an obligation if Leeds were promoted by June 30 so they attempted to nullify the deal, citing ‘extenuating circumstances’ due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Leipzig hit back and said the Augustin transfer should have been completed under the ‘spirit of the rules’ and officially filed a complaint to FIFA.
What decision did FIFA and CAS make?
Leeds United were promoted in the 2019-20 Championship season (Picture: Getty)
A FIFA court sided with Leipzig, so Leeds decided to take the case to CAS but their appeal was dismissed and they were ordered to pay Leipzig £18.4m in 2022.
Leeds said they would review ‘legal options with a view to an immediate appeal’ and later put out a statement confirming an ‘amicable resolution of the dispute’.
However, it was reported this week that FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber are making Leeds pay £24.5m in compensation to Augustin for breach of contract.
Leeds once again appealed the decision but it has now emerged via The Athletic that their latest appeal has been withdrawn by CAS, bringing the saga to an end.
How have Leeds fans reacted?
Leeds United fans have been reacting to the news on social media (Picture: Getty)
FIFA documents have shown that Augustin negotiated a five-year contract with Leeds worth £93,000 a week, plus a total signing-on fee of £2.5m.
Leeds fans have been reacting to the news on social media with one supporter, @CobiLUFC, posting on Reddit: ‘The club always went on about how hard it is to stay in the Premier League when first getting promoted and it’s key to be sensible and not be blinded by the amount of money you get etc.
‘Meanwhile offered him 93k a week for 5 years before we even got there, hilarious behaviour.’
@TheConundrum98 added: ‘They dragged this for so long in the courts that they probably added a few mil on the price.’
Who does Jean-Kevin Augustin play for now?
Jean Kevin Augustin joined FC Basel in 2022 from Nantes (Picture: Getty)
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After his loan spell at Leeds, Augustin left Leipzig permanently to join French club Nantes.
He spent two years there before moving to Switzerland to sign for FC Basel, where he has been since 2022.
The 26-year-old has made 51 appearances for Basil to date and is under contract until the summer of 2025.