‘Whiff of Peter Ridsdale’: Simon Jordan discusses reports coming out of Leeds

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Simon Jordan has written in his Daily Mail column (April 13, page 75) that Leeds United are the “architects of their own downfall” after FIFA ruled they will have to pay Jean-Kevin Augustin a fee of £24.5million in unpaid wages.

The ruling will hardly be a surprise. As with cases like this in the past, when the club is forced to repay transfer fees to a player’s old club – the player subsequently makes a case for wages. Ricky Alvarez at Sunderland, for example.

Nevertheless, The Athletic reported that after Leeds agreed a settlement with RB Leipzig of £15.5m last December – a fee of £24.5m in wages will now be owed to Augustin. That could be subject to bonuses, as per Kieran Maguire.

But even if bonuses are removed, Augustin – now at Swiss side Basel – will receive a big sum in unpaid wages on the basis he would have been paid £90,000 a week, on a five-year deal. Another massive financial blow for Leeds.

Unsurprisingly, Jordan has had his say. Writing in his column, he says Leeds can only blame themselves and that the issue stinks of something emanating from Peter Ridsdale’s troubled era overseeing the club. Here is what he said:

“Sometimes in life, you get stitched up. Leeds are discovering that now. Unfortunately for Leeds, they appear to be architects of their own downfall having seemingly signed a contract with a player prior to the event,” Jordan said.

“Quite how Leeds have got themselves in this mess with bills to the selling club, liability for a contract, no transfer fee, perhaps illustrates the banana republic of football finances and has the whiff of Peter Ridsdale’s era gone by.”

Jordan: Leeds architects of their own downfall after FIFA Augustin ruling

Jordan is bang on. Only Leeds can blame themselves in this situation. Firstly, to sign Augustin – which did look like a coup to begin with. But to sign him on the terms they did without clearly doing prior investigation into his full fitness.

Secondly, to hand him such a massive wage when he was relatively unproven. The fact he has been at Nantes and then Basel next shows he cannot have been anything great. Thirdly, he was never going to suit Marcelo Bielsa.

Leeds are now the laughing stock of the footballing world by having to shell out £40m – or what could be close to that fee – on a player that played 48 minutes. Another criticism that can be levelled at Victor Orta and the board.