Many Leeds United fans have flocked to a tweet from Manuel Veth of Transfermarkt in which he provides an update on the future of Jean-Kevin Augustin and supporters have blamed Vitor Orta for the situation.
According to Veth, the two clubs are set to engage in a legal battle regarding the obligation-to-buy clause that was inserted in the contract when RB Leipzig allowed the player to move to Elland Road.
The 23-year-old arrived in Yorkshire back in January but has only managed to make three appearances for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, playing a total of just 48 minutes (as per Transfermarkt.co.uk) due to fitness issues severely hampering his Leeds career so far.
Veth claims that the Whites are looking for a way out of their obligation to buy the player by highlighting that ‘the season ends after June 30’ which we assume they believe would invalidate the agreement, however, the Bundesliga outfit appear confident the contract is ‘watertight’.
A lot of fans decided to blame Leeds United’s director of football, Orta, for the situation.
If Victor Orta has really committed LUFC to paying out this huge sum for this player he he has sabotaged the Club and needs to be thrown out without delay.
— Neil. Franklin (@_franklin220) July 1, 2020
@RollOverBhoy Victor Orta strikes again
— Steve Cantrell (@SteveCantrell85) July 1, 2020
I think if Augustin turns round and says that he doesn’t want to join, I’m not sure there’s much they can do. I can’t see him wanting to stay when the club don’t want him. But, yeah, another shocker from Orta.
— Nathan (@hank_lufc) July 2, 2020
But Che Adams was fit, Phil. Why does Orta so often gamble on unfit players? The number of new signings we’ve had who get hurt soon after putting pen to paper is extraordinary.
— Sean D. Naylor (@SeanDNaylor) July 2, 2020
Are Leeds United right to try and find a way out of this deal?
Yes
No
Indeed, Victor Orta has stated that he was proud that he managed to bring the striker to Elland Road, but it appears as if his decision has backfired, with many Leeds fans clearly livid with RB Leipzig’s stance.
By trying to find a way out of the agreement between the two clubs, Leeds United may feel they are looking out for their own interests and given that Veth has quoted the agreed price as €21m (£18.93m) you can understand their reluctance. It seems, however, not all of the club’s supporters support their efforts to find a loophole in the deal.
If this is true, then its poor from Leeds. If we agreed to a deal then we should honour it. Bielsa valued him at £40m when fit, not sure what has gone on behind the scenes leading to him being frozen out when we need all the help we can get to score goals..
— Gurj Sagoo (@judgeaknee) July 1, 2020
Could be worse. We are definitely stuck with Bamford. If he can shake this injury we may well have a talent on our hands.
— Steve (@stepygott) July 1, 2020
It is not yet known what the outcome will be in regards to Jean-Kevin Augustin’s future but we believe most people can agree on the fact that the player has failed to have the impact some fans would have hoped for when his signing was announced.
Indeed, with the club set to spend £15 million on Helder Costa in the summer, it appears as if the club may end up paying out in excess of £30m for both the Portuguese man and Augustin.