Leeds land Bosnia centre-back Tarik Muharemović from Sassuolo for €40m
Tarik Muharemović has joined Leeds United from Sassuolo on a five-year deal worth around €40 million, one of the biggest fees the club has paid.
Jul 18, 2026
Leeds United have completed one of their statement signings of the summer, confirming the arrival of Tarik Muharemović from Sassuolo on 17 July. The 23-year-old centre-back has put pen to a five-year contract that runs until 2031, in a deal worth around €40 million (£34 million) that sits among the most expensive in the club’s history.
A young defender with a growing reputation
Muharemović spent last season as one of Sassuolo’s most dependable defenders in Serie A, and at 23 he fits the profile Leeds have chased all window. He is young enough to grow into the side but experienced enough to start straight away, a Bosnia and Herzegovina international who reads the game well and is comfortable bringing the ball out from the back. He looks like a long-term answer at centre-back rather than a short-term patch.
The fee and the fine print
The headline number is €40 million, but not all of it stays in Italy. Sassuolo bought Muharemović from Juventus with a sell-on clause, and reports in Italy say roughly half of the fee will find its way back to Turin. For Leeds, the outlay is still a serious commitment. The 49ers Enterprises ownership have chosen to back the manager in the market rather than trim the squad, and paying this kind of money for a defender who has not yet turned 24 tells you how they see the deal.
What it means for Leeds
Getting a signing of this level over the line early in the window gives Leeds time to settle him in before the season starts, which matters far more for a defender than for most positions. Muharemović will need to adjust to the pace and physicality of English football, but he arrives with the runway to do it properly. Strengthening at the back looked like the clearest gap in the squad, and with this deal done their attention turns to the next names on the list. The window does not close until 1 September, so there is still plenty of runway for Leeds to keep adding, and getting a signing of this size over the line in mid-July suggests they intend to use it.