Kalvin Phillips: This could be £18m stumbling block in Leeds star’s contract renewal – pundit
Leeds United could be awaiting the outcome of their Jean-Kevin Augustin legal battle before handing Kalvin Phillips renewed terms, according to Danny Mills.
The former England defender, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, also cited relegation fears and the San Francisco 49ers buyout as potential reasons for stagnation in talks.
As per Phil Hay via the Athletic (28 January), the Court of Arbitration for Sport will decide on 15 March whether Leeds United are liable to pay RB Leipzig a fee of £18million for Augustin’s services following confusion in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As quoted by the Daily Star (6 February), Phillips’ agent Kevin Sharp revealed Leeds have promised the midfielder a new contract after he committed to the Elland Road club in December (2021).
Mills claimed the Whites will be desperate to tie the midfielder down regardless of where manager Marcelo Bielsa’s future lies.
“They’ve come out and been clear that Phillips doesn’t want to leave,” he told Football Insider‘s Connor Whitley.
“It’s not a worry as such – it’s just about what this new contract looks like.
“The 49ers are yet to really take over. They’ve got this £18million Jean-Kevin Augustin deal hanging over them and due to go through the courts in the next month. That is a massive bill that someone is going to have to foot.
“So it’s difficult. They may also have one eye on relegation, they won’t want to hand him a huge deal just to go down.
“He’s a fantastic player, we know that. Leeds will want to tie him down regardless of whether Bielsa is there next season.”
Augustin played just 48 minutes for Leeds United after joining on loan for the second half of the 2019/20 season.
The loan agreement stipulated the Whites should have paid £18million in the event of their eventual promotion to the Premier League.
However, the Yorkshire club claims the loan deal had expired as a result of the elongated pandemic-affected season.
In other news, medical guru predicts Patrick Bamford could be out for a “long period”.