Cameron Stewart is seeking damages of around £800,000 from Leeds United over his aborted move to Elland Road last summer.
The 24-year-old ex Manchester United flop joined us in January 2014 on an emergency-loan from Hull City and as his Tiger's contract was up that summer, Leeds agreed to sign him on a three-year deal. Stewart, a winger was billed along with Jimmy Kebe as the solution to our wide problems Brian McDermott craved. However by the end of the season both were largely forgotten having failed to make any impact at the club whatsoever.
Apparently there was an error on the registration paperwork with the Football League, this was returned and as it had been signed by former MD David Haigh, who by now was languishing in a Dubai jail. Rather than redraft it, Massimo Cellino backed out and Stewart joined Ipswich Town.
He is now seeking damages of £800,000 in loss of earnings, which reportedly is the difference between what he would have earned at Leeds and what he is getting at Ipswich. Typically with the anti-Leeds PFA and Football League on the case, there is a talk of another transfer-embargo being imposed.
It's been a long-time since my Contract Law textbooks have been out and presumably Leeds will try and argue that the paperwork error rendered the deal void and the signatory Haigh had no legal capacity by the time it was sent back? It's very technical, nitty gritty stuff, Leeds have so far refused to comment.
However as much as it rankles to see a poor player who barely broke out in sweat in a white-shirt gain anything, my nagging fear is any court will see a deal is a deal and Stewart is owed damages. Maybe it's better to offer him a lesser lump sum as a one-off payment as an out-of-court settlement and wish him every success in the future?
It is however yet another reminder how shockingly bad the club has been run over the past 15 years and the mess Cellino inherited from GFH, who clearly didn't have a clue what they were doing by offering a Hull City reserve player such a generous contract!