NafisaLeeds United have made an impressive start to the summer transfer window, with all three of their major additions so far representing deals that the club can be extremely pleased with.
The 49ers have managed to fend off competition from a number of clubs to bring Harry Wilson, Tarik Muharemovic and James Trafford to Elland Road.
Each deal has its own story, too.
Trafford was wanted by Newcastle before Leeds ultimately won the race for the England goalkeeper, while Wilson turned down the opportunity to extend his stay at Fulham in favour of moving to West Yorkshire.
The winger also had interest from Aston Villa and Benfica, but ultimately chose Leeds.
Now, an admission from Sassuolo sporting director Francesco Palmieri has provided further insight into just how much competition Leeds faced before securing their third major signing of the summer.
Plenty of interest in Tarik Muharemovic revealed by Sassuolo chief:
As quoted by Italian outlet FCInterNews, Palmieri opened up on Muharemovic’s £34million move to Leeds and revealed that there was significant pressure from several clubs attempting to sign the defender.
“There was a great deal of pressure from different teams, and there the one that the player concretely wanted appeared, and this great operation materialised that made the boy happy, everyone happy
“For us too it is a source of great pride and satisfaction to sell one of our players for an important amount but give him the opportunity to play in the Premier League, which is the dream of many footballers.”
That is an extremely encouraging admission from the Sassuolo chief.
It means Leeds were not simply taking advantage of an opportunity in the market. They were competing against other interested clubs for a player who was attracting serious attention elsewhere.
The situation becomes even more interesting when considering that FCInterNews also claims Muharemovic had been linked with both Juventus and Inter Milan.
For Leeds to convince the defender to choose Elland Road over potentially glamorous alternatives is another indication of how the club’s reputation is changing under the ownership of the 49ers.
Perhaps even more importantly, Muharemovic appears to have been convinced by the opportunity to play Premier League football.
That is exactly the kind of player Leeds need to be attracting.
Muharemovic looks like a serious talent:
It is obviously still very early in Muharemovic’s Leeds career, and expectations need to be kept under control.
However, the early signs have been extremely encouraging.
The Bosnian defender has already shown qualities that suggest he could become an important player for Daniel Farke, and his performances will only increase excitement among Leeds supporters if he continues to develop at the same rate.
There is, however, one slightly worrying thought.
If Muharemovic continues performing at such a high level once competitive football begins, Leeds may eventually have to deal with interest from some of the same clubs they managed to beat to his signature.
That is a problem the club would probably be very happy to have.
Tarik Muharemovic looks set to be the only left-sided centre-back addition:
One area where Leeds may still have a slight imbalance is at centre-back.
Unless Sebastiaan Bornauw makes an unexpected return to the Bundesliga, it currently appears unlikely that another centre-back will be added this summer.
That is somewhat surprising given how frequently the need for defensive depth was discussed earlier in the window.
Pascal Struijk was previously the obvious left-footed option at centre-back, but his departure has changed the situation.
Muharemovic has effectively filled that role.
The problem is that there does not appear to be another natural like-for-like replacement behind him.
Should the new signing suffer an injury during the season, Farke may have to move one of his right-footed defenders across to the left side.
That would not necessarily be a disaster, particularly if Leeds were able to find a versatile defender elsewhere in the squad, but it would certainly be less than ideal.
The possibility of signing a left-back capable of operating as the left-sided centre-back in a back three could therefore be particularly valuable.
Whether such a player is available at the right price is another question entirely.
Leeds still have several priorities:
The reality is that Leeds cannot build a perfect squad in one transfer window.
There are still several areas that appear to require attention, with another left-back, striker, attacking player and goalkeeper all potentially on the club’s radar.
Those additions would provide Farke with significantly greater depth and give Leeds more options heading into their return to the Premier League.
The club also need to remain conscious of the financial limits involved.
The arrival of Trafford for a club-record fee, alongside the significant investment in Muharemovic, shows that the 49ers are willing to spend when they believe the right player is available.
But that does not mean Leeds can simply buy another option for every position.
If the club can add another left-back, a striker and an attacker — while also finding a solution if Bornauw departs — then this could ultimately be regarded as an outstanding transfer window.
And the fact that Leeds have already beaten several established clubs to Wilson, Trafford and Muharemovic makes the start to their summer business even more impressive.
Nafisa
