Who is Tarik Muharemovic? Leeds United target seen as Pascal Struijk ‘upgrade’ | OneFootball

Leeds United need a left-sided centre-back after Pascal Struijk’s £20million move to Brighton, and Sassuolo’s Tarik Muharemovic is under consideration. According to Fabrizio Romano, Leeds have entered the race for the 23-year-old.

Born in Slovenia, he began at Wolfsberger AC in Austria before joining Juventus in 2021, mainly with the Next Gen side. He moved on loan to Sassuolo in 2024 when they were in Serie B.

He made 28 league appearances during promotion, then signed permanently for €5m last year. He followed up with 32 Serie A games and 2 goals as Sassuolo finished 11th.

Although Slovenian-born, he represents Bosnia and Herzegovina, the homeland of his parents. He debuted in a 3-0 defeat to England in June 2024 and already has 17 caps, including at this summer’s World Cup.

A left-footed centre-back, he plays on the left, mostly in a back four but also a back three. Standing six foot four, he is physical and front-footed, ranking highly for defensive output at 10.86 actions per 90, including 7.05 clearances.

He won 64.4 per cent of duels, higher than Struijk’s 55.6 per cent in the Premier League. On the ball he averaged 44.86 passes per 90 at 85.7 per cent accuracy, compared with Struijk’s 49.86 at 88.5.

From set pieces he scored 2 from corners and attempted 15 shots in 2025/26, versus Struijk’s 17. If Leeds firm up interest, he could be a like-for-like replacement and, if he adapts, potentially an upgrade.

Source: yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk