NafisaLeeds United have announced the signing of Tarik Muharemovic from Sassuolo this week, paying a whopping £34million for his signature amid interests from Juventus, Manchester United and other top European clubs.
After clinching survival brilliantly under Daniel Farke, this summer was an opportunity for United to lay down a real marker in the transfer market.
Harry Wilson was a superb way to kick things off. Tarik Muharemovic continues in that same vein for us, joining from Sassuolo for £34million.
Who is new £34m Leeds United signing Tarik Muharemovic?
You’d be forgiven for not knowing a great deal about Muharemovic before he joined the club. The Bosnian international, though, has proven a very exciting profile for Leeds to have in the squad.
At 23, he’s shot into prominence in the Serie A after Sassuolo took a chance on him, taking him from Juventus’ youth setup for a measly £4.25million (add-ons included).
One man who has experienced Muharemovic’s talents first-hand is his former Bosnia U21 coach Slobodan Starcevic.
He spoke very recently about what sort of player Leeds are getting in the Bosnian. In doing so, he’s teasing an exciting partnership at Elland Road.
“His aerial ability, courage in bringing the ball out from defence, capacity to defend large spaces behind a high defensive line, one-on-one defending, and perhaps most importantly, his composure under pressure, all stand out,” Starcevic told Sky Sports of Muharemovic’s standout qualities.
In the process, he has essentially described the exact profile Leeds need. When replacing Pascal Struijk on the left side of a back three, someone aggressive defensively, but also classy on the ball was a must.
Slobodan Starcevic makes bold Tarik Muharemovic, Leeds United prediction on key condition:
Of course, Leeds aren’t signing the finished article at 23. Like every centre-back in the world, there are drawbacks to his game. Leeds will hope they aren’t exposed in the Premier League.
But even from an admirer, there are caveats.
“Leeds will be an enormous challenge at this stage of his career. Not because Leeds is a bigger club than Juventus but because the Premier League is probably the most intense competition in world football,” he continued.
“The speed of the game, the physical demands and the number of situations a centre-back has to solve within fractions of a second are significantly greater than in most other European leagues.
“At times, Tarik plays on the edge of excessive self-confidence. Those strengths can become weaknesses. He wants to win every ball, every duel, and step in front of the striker even when the situation does not necessarily require it.”
In spite of what could be a learning curve for Muharemovic, Sarcevic maintains that the 23-year-old could have a brilliant career ahead of him.
“If he adapts quickly to those demands then I remain convinced that Tarik has all the attributes that are required to become one of the finest left-footed centre-backs of his generation and to build a highly successful career for himself in English football,” he finished.
Nafisa
