Noel Whelan has given his verdict on Leeds potentially signing Jean-Kevin Augustin on a permanent deal.
The BBC pundit believes that he could be a gem for the Whites but only if his fitness holds up.
He said to Football Insider: “To put the money on the table is a risk.
“If he is going to be the record signing he needs to make a difference straight away. At the minute he has not made any difference and he has not been a part of this promotion push.
“He has had 55 minutes maximum and even with that, he was fighting himself – his fitness and form. To be honest he was trying too hard. If we can get him into a good frame of mind and the fitness levels, we expect we could have a real gem on our hands.”
Leeds might have to pay a club-record fee to sign the player this summer and Whelan believes that the transfer could be a gamble given the price.
The Whites will have to pay around £17.7 million to turn the striker’s loan deal into a permanent signing.
The 22-year-old has made just 3 appearances for Marcelo Bielsa’s side since joining the club in January and it will be interesting to see what Leeds decide in the coming weeks.
There is no doubt that Augustin has the talent to be a good player for Leeds but his fitness history at Leeds so far is worrying.
Leeds are on the verge of getting promoted to the Premier League and they will need a top-quality striker leading the line next season.
They cannot rely on the likes of Bamford to perform every week in the Premier League.
Augustin could be a good option for them but if Bielsa is unwilling to rely on his fitness, the Leeds boss’ decision would be understandable.
Leeds must invest in a quality attacker this summer and Augustin has a lot to prove before the Whites can break the bank for him.
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