Tuchel’s England Squad Features Player Leeds Once Snubbed for Augustin
Thomas Tuchel is set to take charge of his first match as England manager when the Three Lions face Albania, and one of his recent call-ups was once close to joining Leeds United—only for the club to opt for Jean-Kévin Augustin instead.
Tuchel will be in the Wembley dugout on Friday as England kick off their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign against Albania. His squad selection has raised a few eyebrows, with Jordan Henderson making a return and Dan Burn earning a surprise call-up.
Meanwhile, Leeds United are once again pushing for promotion to the Premier League, much like they were during the 2019-20 season. In January 2020, the club was in desperate need of a striker and ultimately chose to sign Augustin—a decision that would go down as one of the worst in their recent history. The Frenchman made just three appearances and cost the club a hefty eight-figure sum. However, Leeds had the opportunity to sign a player now named in Tuchel’s England squad.
Leeds Passed on Jarrod Bowen in Favor of Augustin
According to journalist Phil Hay, Leeds had their sights set on Jarrod Bowen—now captain of West Ham—back in January 2020. At the time, Bowen was playing for Hull City, but Leeds were unwilling to meet the terms of a loan deal that included a mandatory purchase clause. Instead, they turned to Augustin, a move that proved disastrous.
Hay revealed on The Phil Hay Show in 2022:
“They looked at Jarrod Bowen, who was at Hull as well. I think that would’ve had to have been essentially the same type of deal [as Augustin] if they had been able to do anything with him.
“They would’ve taken him [on loan] but agreed to an obligation to take him permanently because Hull wanted the commitment to that fee being paid, and as time ticked on, they settled on Augustin.”
Contrasting Fortunes: Bowen’s Rise vs. Augustin’s Decline
Since moving to West Ham, Bowen has flourished, becoming a club legend after scoring the winning goal in the Europa Conference League final. Across 268 appearances, he has registered an impressive 112 goals and assists.
Augustin, on the other hand, has seen his career unravel. After a forgettable spell at Nantes, where he managed just 11 games in two seasons, he moved to Basel, scoring only eight times in 43 appearances.
Had Leeds opted for Bowen instead, his impact at Elland Road might have been transformative. Instead, they missed out on a player now regarded as one of the Premier League’s top attacking talents—one who could have made a huge difference for the Whites.
