Noel Whelan has urged Leeds United not to sign Jean-Kevin Augustin permanently, and spend the money on signing Ben White on a permanent deal instead.
Augustin has endured a dismal time at Elland Road since arriving from Red Bull Leipzig in January, penning a loan move with a view to a permanent move seven months ago.
The Frenchman has made only three first-team appearances for Leeds and has been on the pitch for around 50 minutes in total, after encountering problems with his hamstring.
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Leeds agreed a deal for Augustin in January which included an obligation to sign him for £18m if they gained promotion to the Premier League.
Leeds face paying a hefty penalty clause if they do not sign Augustin, though, but Whelan has urged Leeds not to pay the £18m, as he feels that they would be better off spending it on Ben White.
White has been a revelation since arriving on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion in the summer, forging a solid partnership with Liam Cooper in defence.
Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan said: "It is not a great scenario. It looks like the worst signing in the world and it looks like we are signing a player who is hampered with injuries.
"Big question marks over whether he can play the Marcelo Bielsa way, so far, he cannot even get through training.
"I am not sure that we want to be dealing with players with that sort of temperament. £18million is a lot of money to buy a player that has a massive question mark over his head.
"It is a waste of money. A waste of £18million that could go towards buying Ben White.
“We cannot afford to waste money on players like that. We have seen 48 minutes and 48 minutes of not very good. This is a really sticky situation Leeds United are in."
The Verdict
This is a really tough decision for Leeds and it's starting to look like a bit of a lose-lose situation for them.
If they sign Augustin for £18m, then that's a hefty chunk of their budget gone ahead of a potential return to the Premier League, and his injury worries are a concern for the long run.
If they do not sign him, then they could end up paying a large penalty clause, which would be detrimental for the club as they identify potential transfer targets ahead of the summer.