Who is Tarik Muharemovic? Leeds’ potential Pascal Struijk upgrade assessed | OneFootball

Leeds United are assessing Sassuolo’s Tarik Muharemovic for the left of defence after Pascal Struijk’s £20 million move to Brighton.

According to yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk, Leeds are interested in the 23-year-old centre-back, but it is only at an early stage and could change quickly.

Slovenian-born Muharemovic broke through at Austria’s Wolfsberger AC before joining Juventus in 2021 for their Next Gen team in Serie C.

He spent 2024 on loan at Sassuolo, then in Serie B, making 28 league appearances in a promotion season. Sassuolo bought him for €5m last year and he scored twice in 32 Serie A games as an 11th-place finish was achieved.

He represents Bosnia and Herzegovina, debuting in a 3-0 defeat to England in June 2024, and has 17 caps including at this summer’s World Cup.

A left-footed, six-foot-four centre-back, he operates on the left. He mainly played in a back four last season but can slot into a back three.

He averaged 10.86 defensive contributions per 90, in the top nine per cent of Serie A defenders, with 7.05 of those clearances that reflect sharp anticipation.

His duel success rate was 64.4 per cent, among the top 10 per cent, and the same in the air. By comparison, Struijk posted 55.6 per cent in the Premier League.

On the ball he averaged 44.86 passes per 90 at 85.7 per cent accuracy. From corners he had 15 shots and both goals came from inside the six-yard box.

If Leeds pursue a deal, he looks a credible replacement for Struijk and, Premier League adaptation pending, could even be an upgrade.

Source: yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk